And The Bluebird May Fall
by TheUptownGirl
Summary: EPILOGUE UP! SD-6 discovered Sydney which forces Sydney and Vaughn into exile Spain where they learn things about themselves and their pasts that will bring them closer or further apart. MAJOR S/V COMPLETE!
1. The Perfect Morning

Michael Vaughn rose early Saturday morning. He knew he had all the time in the world.he didn't have to go to work but waking early made him appreciate the day more. The daylight had barely broken outside but everything seemed calm and peaceful. It was a needed day of rest and calmness for him. It was beautiful and it was nothing less than euphoric. He wouldn't think about anything pertaining to the CIA..did that include Sydney? He pushed any thoughts of her out of his mind. Yes, that included Agent Bristow. He emphasized her title in his mind. Agent Sydney Bristow.  
  
Anyway, he got up from his warm bed, Donovan trotting around near his feet. It was nice to just be to himself. Alice hadn't spent the night; she had gone to a party with few of her closets friends. It was like a girl's night out or something. He had tuned her out when she started to babble about Jeanie or Jeanette or whatever her newest friend's name was. It didn't matter, he was all alone early this morning. It was beautiful and peaceful. He quickly showered and it was somewhere beyond soothing. Okay, he knew it and he needed to lay off all of the karma stuff. But things seemed so uncontaminated. The hot water created steam that fogged his bathroom but clarified his mind. With a clear head and conscious, Vaughn went through his morning routines a little more slowly than usual. Everything he did was more deliberate, consciously not thinking about Sydney. His routine stopped in front of the mirror where he stood, starring in his own deep green eyes. There were not filled with passion or rage or worry but were just there. It must have been the first time in months that he was absolutely calm. He stood in front of the mirror, debating whether or not shave. He decided against it and stepped out of the bathroom, letting the steam that had bottled up escape as the door opened to his bedroom. He stood there in a towel wrapped around his waist as he resolved where to go. His feet brought him to his closet and then his wardrobe. Without really thinking, he pulled his jog pants and t-shirt out and started to dress in the dark. He didn't bother switching the lights on in his room. The sun had barely risen over the LA sky but he didn't care. The worry lines that normally appeared on his face weren't evident and he seemed the calmest he had in months. "I'm coming, Donnie." His voice echoed through his empty house as his faithful little dog began to whimper. "Donovan, I'm coming." He hurried his dressing and grabbed the leash from his dresser and attached it to the dog's collar. "See? All ready." He pulled the dog out of the bedroom, down the hall, and out the door. "We're running to the park, circling to the café and back home." Vaughn locked the door behind him, shoved the keys into his pocket, and started a brisk run down the block.  
  
The sun was halfway in the sky as Vaughn made it to the park.the poor dog nearly having a heart attack on the way. Vaughn's feet fell into a steady rhythm against the pavement. Everything seemed right. The day was perfect. He wouldn't think about his love life or work life or anything. All that mattered was running. His feet pounded into the pavement in a rhythmic pattern that soothed his tattered soul. As he continued, he realized that he was pulling something along. Donovan. "Do you want a break?" He asked him in the most patronizing matter. Donovan collapsed to the ground as Vaughn neared a park bench. He pulled him onto his lap and stroked his head. "You're a good dog, Donovan. Fat, maybe. Good, yes." Vaughn grew quiet for a moment and sat there in thought. He loved watching people hurrying about in their own little lives. He tried to listen in on some of their normal conversations. They at least had normal lives. Well, he theoretically could have a normal life but it would require erasing Sydney from his life and going back to pushing papers and dying underneath his desk. There wasn't an acceptable answer to his desire for a normal life. Oh well.  
  
"And the bluebird will fall at 0800 hours." Vaughn became suddenly aware of a man talking somewhere behind him, talking in Russian. Vaughn tensed up and scanned the area in front of him. It was definitely coming from behind him. His instincts kicked in and he concentrated very hard translating Russian. Russian was not his strongest language.in fact it was one of his weakest.  
  
"Yes.the bluebird has become a threat and my employer feels that she may not be loyal." Replied another voice, closer to Vaughn. "Anything else?"  
  
"Ah, yes. The (his voice hushed)..will be pleased. He will make up for the Emily mistake. We are done here."  
  
"Yes"  
  
Bluebird? Wasn't that Sydney's name at SD-6? They couldn't be talking about Sydney. No. But the bluebird will fall..may not be loyal? It sounded like something Sloane would order. And Emily? Wasn't that Sloane's wife? Vaughn gasped as he came to the realization. He picked up Donovan tighter in his arms and got his feet. He walked out of the park but as soon as he cleared the rod iron gate, he began to sprint the four blocks to his home. He had never ran so fast in his life. As the scenery became more familiar, he silently thanked his trainer for making him do all those laps during training and his gym membership card. He pushed opened the door and practically threw Donovan on the ground. The dog barked and whimpered at the sudden change but quickly got over it, collapsing to the ground. Vaughn knew he had to remain calm but the panic began to rise in his throat. He searched around for his cell phone and dialed the office's number.  
  
"Get me Devlin. It's Agent Vaughn. Get Devlin-now!"  
  
"I'm sorry Agent Vaughn, he's in a meeting right now." His secretary replied.  
  
"Tell him that Agent Sydney Bristow is in grave danger. Her cover has been blown." Vaughn's speech was rapid. His tongue moved faster than it ever had before. "Get me Devlin now."  
  
"Yes sir." The secretary replied. Vaughn heard a click and then silence. It took a few moments until he heard Devlin screaming into the phone.  
  
"What the hell is so important it couldn't wait?" he screamed.  
  
"SD-6 may have found out about Agent Bristow."  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Sydney."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was in the park and I heard two men talking about the bluebird, Syd-Bristow's code name at SD-6, falling because she is a threat and is not loyal. Those were their exact words."  
  
"It doesn't sound like a credible threat."  
  
"Well with all due respect, sir, I am concerned."  
  
"Dammit Vaughn, when aren't you concerned? Your father-"  
  
"Would be doing the same thing." Vaughn replied abruptly.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"I don't find that fact very relevant but I'm at home."  
  
"Well, we'll look into it." Devlin sighed. "It doesn't sound credible. Don't come in..don't Agent Vaughn."  
  
"These two men were speaking about the Emily incident and how the bluebird is not loyal." Vaughn persisted. If he had any other agent would he be doing the same thing? Probably not, he came to the conclusion.  
  
"We'll look into it. Anything else, Agent Vaughn?"  
  
"Bring Sy-Agent Bristow into headquarters or a safe house. And, bring her roommates in for protection. We have fifteen minutes. They said she will fall at 08 00 hours. It's 7:45." Vaughn managed to say. He knew how much her life was in danger. The clock was ticking.  
  
"We'll consider it. Do not alert Bristow at all. Vaughn, are you listening to me? Do not alert Agent Bristow, Jack or Sydney." And hung up.  
  
"Mr. Devlin, don't hang up on me! Mr. Devlin! Damn it, Devlin!" Vaughn scoffed as he heard the click. He clicked his phone off and had already made the decision. All he needed to do was to make sure Sydney was safe. He grabbed his badge and holster from their place in his bedroom and was out the door before Donovan even moved from the doorway. The holster fastened tightly around his waist, with his gun, a spare one, and enough ammo for the both of them. Sydney wouldn't have a gun in the house. She had said a thousand times she never would. The door locked behind him and he bolted to his car. It started and as the engine began to run, his heart began to pound harder and harder. What if he was too late? What if he got to her to late? What if she was killed before she knew how he felt about her? He picked up his cell and hit speed dial 101. The number had special meaning. October 1st, 10/1. 


	2. The End of the Dream, Beginning of a Nig...

A/N- 1 Spoiler for Double Agent!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Meanwhile across town, Sydney had risen, still in her pajamas and started to make her way lazily out of her room. Will and Francie were in the kitchen already preparing breakfast and they were going to spend the entire day relaxing. Whatever Francie was making smelled so good! There was nothing that could keep her from her friends and that included her job. Today, the world would have to save itself and CIA would have to bring down SD-6 without her. They could survive 24 hours without her. Actually, not even 24 hours..they would last.  
  
The pure white light from her lamp gave the room an angelic like glow early that Saturday morning. It was barely 7:45 but she was sure that Francie had been up for at least an hour cooking this perfect morning's breakfast. It had become routine for her to wake up at 7:30 and as hard she tried, she couldn't fall back to sleep. There was no alarm waking her up only a recurring dream that had been haunting her lately. It was her and Vaughn on a mission in Paris and actually went out together on a date to this little romantic restaurant and it was nice and comfortable. They hadn't kissed or anything but he kept his hand tightly in hers. But when they had returned to the hotel, there were men waiting there. CIA men. She and Vaughn were escorted out of the hotel and things were downhill from there. They threw she and Vaughn into separate cars, screaming about patriotism and how they had been disloyal to their country. She was thrown into a dark car and knocked unconscious by a man with a gun. The dream always ended the same. She awoke form being unconscious; she was bound and gagged with Sark standing over her. He began to tell her that she caused Vaughn's death. He had been murdered the same way his father had. Vaughn was dead and she was next.  
  
But back to the present. She had recovered from her startling dream and now focused on her sore body. Her legs, sore from her training yesterday, moved slower than she wanted to. As she made her way towards the kitchen, smelling so good, she heard one of her cell phones ring. "Damn it! What do you want?" She hissed as she slowly turned back towards her dresser, where she rested her two cell phones. It was her CIA one that was ringing loudly. "What?" She answered it, completely unprepared for what awaited her. She knew it was going to be Vaughn and a small corner of her got excited to hear his voice.  
  
"Syd, it's Vaughn. You need to turn out all the lights, lock the doors, and get Will and Francie-they're there, right?" Vaughn's voice rambled on.  
  
This wasn't supposed to be the way the conversation was supposed to be going! He was suppose to tell her how she had worked so hard and everything had resolved - SD-6 was gone and he was asking her out on a date. "What? Vaughn, slow down! Why are you calling me on my cell?" She instantly demanded. It was her day off and she flat out refused to do any work. Besides, if he was so rapt at seeing her, why didn't he call her home line with 'Joey's pizza'?  
  
"You've been discovered." His voice was low and Sydney's leg almost collapsed beneath her. She moved over to the bed and sat down. This was not what she expected to her. Images of everything that could possibly go wrong went through her head. "You need to stay put and wait until I get there. I don't know what's going on yet but you need to stay there." His pace was rapid and he sounded no less than panicked.  
  
"Vaughn, I-" She choked on her words. It was a horrible feeling she felt and it was almost worse that it was coming from Vaughn. If he was this frantic, something was really wrong. He never risked calling her cell.  
  
"Sydney." He replied, calming his voice a little. "Syd, listen, this is going to move fast."  
  
  
  
"I know. I can handle it." She choked again, refusing to let the tears fall onto her face. "When will-"  
  
"I'll be there in max. five minutes." His voice was reassuring. "It's gonna be fine." Or at least he attempted to keep it level for her.  
  
"I'll see in five." Sydney responded and hung up the phone. She tossed it onto her bed and ran her hands over her face. No tears could fall and no emotions could get in the way. She couldn't let anyone see her so upset. All thoughts of anything romantic were pushed out of her head. She got to her feet and pushed everything away and walked faster than she really could towards the kitchen.  
  
"I'm trying to make a gourmet breakfast and you wanna use chocolate chips?" Francie had her hands on her hips, wearing an apron and oven mitts.  
  
"Why can't we?" Will responded, moving his hand to taste what Francie was cooking.  
  
"Because- hey good-morning." Francie retorted as she saw Sydney waddle from her bedroom.  
  
"Morning." Sydney, trying to sound as cheerful as humanly possible.  
  
  
  
"I'm going to see what we have in the pantry. I'll be right back." Francie took one look at Will and rolled her eyes at him. She walked towards the back of the house and started to rummage through things.  
  
"Okay." Sydney rushed towards Will and grabbed him by the arm. "Listen, Will, Vaughn just called and he's coming over. He thinks that the uh..the uh 'bad guys' found out about me." Sydney immediately quieted her voice. "We might be taken to a safe house but Will, I need you to stay calm and stay with me."  
  
A fresh look of fear coated Will's face. He opened his mouth to say something but failed. All he could do was stare at Sydney with his mouth opened wide.  
  
"It's going to be okay. I promise you, it's gonna be okay. But Will, I need you to get some clothes together, throw them in a backpack, while I talk to Francie. Be as quiet as possible." Sydney clasped her hands over Will's, resting on the kitchen counter. "I promise it'll be okay. Just stay with me. I know that this is fast but I literally just hung up from Vaughn thirty seconds ago. He's worried and when he's worried, I'm tense. Things are going to move fast.you gotta stay with me. You can do that, right? I don't think we have much time."  
  
Will simply nodded his mouth and eyes still wide and retreated into the guestroom where he had been saying.  
  
"Where'd Will go?" Francie re-entered almost on cue. She held a new bag of flour in one hand and chocolate chip morsels in the other. "I found the chocolate chips he insisted on putting into my pancakes and he's not here?"  
  
"He just went to grab something from his room." Sydney sat down and shrugged her shoulder genuinely. "Is there coffee?"  
  
"Just put a fresh pot. I decided to let him win. Chocolate chip pancakes it is!" Francie placed the bag of chocolate chips on the counter. "Did you sleep?"  
  
"Like a rock." Sydney got up once more and poured herself a cup of coffee. She was going to need all the caffeine she could get. "Wanna refill?" She asked, motioned to the pot in her hand. They all needed to awake and alert.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great." Francie turned her head and smiled. Sydney refilled her halfway empty mug and returned the coffee pot to its place. Sydney watched Francie turn back and then she quickly turn towards the medicine cabinet and pulled out a couple of prescription stay-awake pills. Sydney forced the large pills into her mouth and swallowed them, hard.  
  
Silence coated the two friends as Francie finished up their breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes for Will, an omelet for Francie and some scrambled eggs with toast for Sydney. "This is going to be fun."  
  
"What? Eating your food? Or hanging out all day?" Sydney giggled and looked at the clock hanging in the kitchen. There wouldn't be enough time for them to eat. Vaughn was due any minute and it was killing her. How was she going to explain him?  
  
"Both. You know, you work way too hard. It's not like you're saving the world or anything like that."  
  
"Or anything like that." Sydney replied sheepishly. These conversations were dreaded. She was going to start go on about how she worked too hard at the bank and she should quit and.Sydney began to silently pray for Vaughn to get here faster as Francie continued to babble how she should quit. If she only knew what really was going on.  
  
"Something smells good." Will reappeared from his room and plopped his bag onto the couch before officially entering the kitchen. He smiled the best fake smile he could and sat next to Sydney by the counter.  
  
"It should." Francie retorted, barely glancing up. Her intent was on the sizzling pan in front of her.  
  
"You still sleeping?" Will joked as he noticed Sydney leaning on the counter, starring into her mug. He playfully punched her in the arm and smiled at her brightly. He was nervous and attempted to conceal it as much as possible.  
  
"I guess you could say that." She picked her head up and leaned against Will's shoulder. "I wish I was still sleeping. I am too used to waking up early!"  
  
"Ah, you poor thing. But hey, why don't you two start?" Francie shook the frying pan and motioned with her chin at the home-fries and toast already made.  
  
Before they could answer, the doorbell rang and Sydney almost died at that moment. Her head snapped up, her sleep tasseled hair overlapping onto her shoulder. She jumped to her feet, subconsciously saying, "I'll get it." Francie looked at her funny and she quickly made up for it. "Who would be coming this early on a Saturday?" She hurried to the door, tucking her hair behind her ears and quickly checking her reflection in the mirror. She was still wearing her pajamas but looked "cute." She pulled the door open and Vaughn stood outside, with a worried look on his face.  
  
"Sydney." He said simply and walked inside, with Sydney shutting the door tightly behind him. "I just got a call and it's been confirmed. We have to move fast or else we're all gonna get in trouble. Francie and Will here?"  
  
"Yeah, they are. It's confirmed?" If she were anyone else, she would have collapsed to ground and lost her mind but there wasn't time to be weak and she would never be like that.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Syd." He looked down for a moment and the worry lines were present again. "We have to you keep you safe."  
  
"And what about you? Won't they find out that you're connected to me? I won't let you stay here if you're in danger, I won't let you." Sydney hastily replied.  
  
"No." was his firm reply. He watched her barely accept this.  
  
"You're lying to me." She shook her head and starred defiantly up at him. He stood a good two inches on her. "You need to leave, Vaughn. I refuse to let you get hurt." She made her way back towards the door, opening it and motioning for him to leave. "You need to leave, now!"  
  
He took two steps back towards her and shut the door. "No. Sydney, I'll be fine. I'm more concerned about you right now. I can handle myself." He tried to reassure her.  
  
"Like hell you can." She almost spat in his face.  
  
"We don't have time for this." Another sharp reply.  
  
"Syd, who is it?" Francie called, her back turned away from the door.  
  
"Fine you win." A hiss escaped her lips. "Hey Fran, I need you to come here for a minute, Will you too!" Sydney called and pulled Vaughn into her living room. They came from the kitchen and sat down on the couch. "Vaughn, please sit." Vaughn sat down in a chair and Sydney sat down beside him. "Francie, this is Michael Vaughn, Mr. Vaughn, Francie. And you know Will." His name sounded like velvet flowing off of her tongue. His eyes darted towards Sydney.she had only called him by his first name once, when she met Alice..that night at the bar.  
  
"Hi." Francie replied nervously.  
  
"Hey. How's it going?" Will replied, barely whispering and shook Vaughn's extended hand.  
  
"Hey. You're probably wondering what I'm doing here." Vaughn began and Francie nodded her head. "I work a security detail at the bank where Ms. Bristow-" He sat on the edge of the couch with Francie and Will on the two chairs directly in front. Vaughn had his hands clasped and his intense eyes bounced between the two friends and his tightly clasped hands.  
  
"You can call me Sydney," she paused for a split second to utter the word, "Mister," but the continued in her normal voice, "Vaughn." She quickly interjected.  
  
"I work with Sydney at the bank and there have been some creditable threats against her." Vaughn lied. He looked from Will to Francie and back again. He knew Will knew that he was lying. The two grown men couldn't bring themselves to look at each other and Syd couldn't look at either of them. She intently watched Francie's reaction. Her best friend was too focused on Vaughn to notice.  
  
"Oh my G-d! Sydney!" Francie gasped as her eyes got wide and flickered between Sydney and Vaughn.  
  
It was an obvious lie but it was the only way to explain to Francie what was going on. He cleared his voice and continued, "Anyway, the bank feels that these threats will affect both Sydney and anyone involved with her." He suddenly avoided everyone's eyes and wanted to open his mouth to stay something but they heard a series of cars pull up. They apparently wanted to start early. Maybe they wanted her gone by 8. Fear burned like bile burning in their throats. Vaughn and Sydney jumped to their feet and saw the row of black cars parking in front of the house. "Francie, Will, get into a room, any room with a lock and as few windows as possible. Do you have a walk-in closet?"  
  
"Yeah, in my bedroom, run! Go and get down!" Sydney hissed and pushed the two confused friends towards her room. She and Vaughn followed a few paces behind them. Their feet made no sound against the hard wood floor and they moved like two ghost, hiding from the light.  
  
They reached her bedroom and Sydney quickly motioned for Will and Francie to get into the closet. Vaughn came in and shut the door without noise. He stood and marveled for a moment at the most beautiful girl's bedroom, which was untidy and tidy all at the same time. If things hadn't been so crazy, he would have reveled in the sights of everything for a moment. When Sydney shut the door behind them, she turned towards Vaughn. "I'm unarmed."  
  
"I'm prepared. We need to get out of their sightline." As he spoke, he heard men coming closer and cocking their guns. They collapsed down to the ground near her bed, calculating their next moves. Vaughn slide close to her and quickly undid his holster and fastened it around her tightly tone waist. She was facing him and leaned in to his body as he fastened the buckle. His hands felt warm against her cold body. They stayed there for a moment, and he wished he could have his hands there. His fingers lingered around her spine and he stopped breathing for a moment. An involuntary chill went up her spine, causing her body to tremble a little. Remembering to inhale, Vaughn managed to whisper, "There's extra ammo in there with a gun. It's gonna be okay."  
  
She was glad that he couldn't see his eyes. They were probably full of worry.at least hers were. And besides, his touch felt so good. "Do you-"  
  
"I have mine already." He let her stay there. They were breaking every rule and not caring. They should have bolted out of there when they had the chance but something in the pit of their stomachs told them not to. That it was safer to stay put in the house. Screw protocol.  
  
They sat there is silence, waiting for something to happen. The time went by so slowly. It had barely been thirty seconds that they sat there. Sydney mentally checked every window and door, making sure that they were locked. There was silence. It was that solid, eerie silence. "I don't know what to do now." Vaughn started to whisper. "We have confirmation but no one's doing anything yet. You're not supposed to know and your father doesn't know yet." He whispered into her hair. Her head rested into his chest and she breathed softly there, almost forgetting all of her training.  
  
"Vaughn, I'm.." She let her voice trail off and buried her head in his chest. He smelled like sweat, indistinct after shave and fine leather. Normally, she would have cracked a joke or turned away from the smell but it comforted her. It smelt like Vaughn. Realizing her position, she picked her head up and looked straight ahead. "We need to get out of here."  
  
"Yeah, we do." He drew quiet and listened as he heard men talking outside. "We need to get out of here or at least hide."  
  
"Well, there's a crawl space leading to the attic in my closet." Sydney answered in a hushed whisper, suddenly extremely aware that she was wearing her pajamas and began to break away from any part of his embrace. She grabbed her CIA cell phone and thrust it into her pajama pocket. Vaughn was shocked at her sudden change in emotion and got to his feet. His green eyes scanned the room once more and followed Sydney towards a door opposite the bed. She threw open the door and found Will and Francie holding each other frantically. They both jumped with a start when she flung open the door. "It's okay. We need to get into the crawl space." Sydney spoke rapidly and walked to the back of her closet and threw her neatly organized clothes onto the floor, revealing a crawl space. She turned back to her baffled friends and Vaughn, who had already locked the closet door. He stood with his hands at his side and the lines on his face more evident than ever. Sydney glanced towards him and there was a mutual agreement between the two of them. She hoisted herself into the crawl space first that started shoulder level. Will stood in marvel at his friend's upper body strength. Syd put her gun down and reached down. "Will, Francie c'mon. Vaughn's gonna give you a leg up." She was so in control of everything...she needed to make it look like everything was okay. Francie moved towards the space first and Vaughn leaned down, offering his hand and knee for Francie. She accepted it and Sydney leaned forward and pulled her up onto the ledge. Francie was soon sitting next to Sydney. "Crawl towards the back and soon, you'll see an entrance to the attic. Go there and stay low. Avoid the window on the wall." Sydney rambled through her orders and noticed the fear rising on her friend's face, "Stay with me, Fran. This is tough but you can do it. You just need to stay with me. It's okay." She quickly hugged her and then sent her back to the attic. Will was hoisted up next and then Vaughn pulled himself up but not before he put all of the clothes back to conceal the crawl space. She couldn't help but notice the ripples in his arms as he reached her level. He didn't need her help, he could handle himself very well. She moistened her lips. He was her handler. 


	3. Songbird Keeps Singing

He sat inches from her and never let his emotions show on his face but their eyes were locked on each other. Mask looking at mask. They heard a crash and Sydney tensed up. "They're here." She whispered, almost silently. The crawl space was tiny, barely leaving enough room for them on their knees either way.  
  
"You're doing good." Vaughn attempted to calm her. Their faces were so close than they inhaled each other's breath. It was the closest they had ever been to each other. She nodded her head slowly and did not let her eyes leave his for one second.  
  
"Why did this happen?" Sydney replied, starting to crawl back towards the attic.  
  
"I don't know. I wish I knew." Vaughn replied, following her. They reached the vertical entrance to the attic and stood up. The attic was small, about the size of the walk in closet. Only part of the attic was finished. Will and Francie sat together and Will held onto Francie tightly. Her face was flushed and she was visibly shaken.  
  
Vaughn sat down across from them and leaned against the wall, the gun still drawn. Sydney joined him, sitting a few inches away and set her gun down in front of her. She looked back and forth between Francie and Will. She leaned her head back and stretched out her neck before returning her gaze to Francie and Will. The space was so tight that the four people's feet touched and there was barely any space between them. They were all frozen in time, fully aware that if they made the slightest noise they would be discovered.  
  
"You have a gun?" Francie choked after a few minutes.  
  
Sydney immediately looked at Vaughn, who's eyes were wide and unsure. "Yeah. Bank protocol..all international employees must learn how to shoot and defend themselves. In case something like this happens." Sydney quickly lied, avoiding Will's eyes. He knew that she was lying. She brought her knees up to her chest and leaned her head on them. She turned her face to the right and starred at Vaughn, who looked back at her...letting her get lost in his green eyes. She hushed her voice almost to the point that she was mouthing words. "They want to kill me, don't they?"  
  
Vaughn quickly glanced at Francie and bowed his head to meet Sydney's level and nodded solemnly.  
  
"Do we know how he found out?" Vaughn shook his head no. "Who they are?" Again, no. "All we know is that they wanted to kill me?" This time yes. "Wonderful."  
  
"Yeah, I know." His extremely hushed voice cut through the silence like a blunt knife.  
  
Sydney sighed and moved closer to him and whispered into his ear, "We need to get out of here and get into headquarters. They need to go into protective custody for the time being and we need to find out where the leak came from. It was probably Sark..we need to talk to my," she mouthed the next word, mother but decided to say it aloud, "mother and find out if she knows anything. We need to talk to my father..Vaughn..we're sitting ducks!" Her cheek was flush against his and her breath trickled down his spine, causing his lips to part for a moment.  
  
He wanted to clear his throat to make himself for comfortable but instead started to talk with a hoarse voice, "I know. I know. But I've never been in this situation before, it's a little.." It was his term to make her tremble a little. A loud crash from downstairs.louder than the first one. They had probably just gotten the front door down. The assassins were in the house. Adrenaline was pumping hard through her veins now and sitting there, just waiting was killing her. There was a serious of crashes that flooded the attic and seemed to be coming from everywhere beneath them. The sound showered them and Francie stifled a sob. Sydney held onto Vaughn tightly as if to devise some new plan but all she could do was hold onto him tightly. He embraced her back but found it hard to sit still. Vaughn was getting nervous. His arms released her and his body began to edge away. She was confused and wanted to shout out to him to stay, to hold her for another moment but decided against it. He switched his weight onto his knees and leaned forward to talk to Will and Francie. Even he had to admit, Will was the calmest a person could be under a situation like this but Francie was already showing signs of shock. She shook violently and barely blinked with her eyes wide. Vaughn quickly explained what was going to happen. His voice was so hoarse and sexy but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Sydney still sat, securing the holster around her, checking the clip in her gun.letting her thoughts wander to places that she didn't want it to. What if she died? What if Sloane succeeded and killed her and her friends? What if Vaughn died? It was becoming a real possibility and if they were killed and she had never told Vaughn how she felt about him.She looked at Vaughn, who cautiously made his way back towards her and shook his head in remorse.  
  
The crashing grew more intense and as suddenly as it started, it stopped with a man shouting, "Where the hell did she go?"  
  
Sydney straightened up defiantly and sighed nervously. Her eyes darted between Francie and Will, who held each other tightly. She couldn't even move to comfort them.  
  
"I don't know! She must have been tipped off." Another male voice replied.  
  
Vaughn wanted shift his weight but any movement might cause the floorboards to squeak..giving them all away. Instead, he reached for his cell phone and started a text message to Jack.  
  
Jack-  
  
Sloane found out about Syd. We're in the attic. Assassins are downstairs.  
  
-Vaughn  
  
  
  
He sent it and looked at Sydney nervously. She had been looking over his shoulder and nodded approvingly. "Syd." He mouthed, "as soon as they leave, we're gonna take them to a safe house and we're going somewhere in Europe." He mouthed.  
  
She looked at him, almost terrified to open her mouth. She tipped her chin up and started to blink rapidly.  
  
He knew what she was doing and translated the make-shift Morris Code. "Vaughn, we need to get out of here now! We're freaking sitting duck!"  
  
"I know." He blinked back. "But what are we going to do? Fight back?"  
  
Sydney looked at her friends and nodded yes.  
  
"Absolutely not!" He opened his mouth and hissed.  
  
Silence filled the void again but was quickly replaced by gunfire.  
  
Francie jumped and tried not to cry. Her home was being destroyed. She leaned deeper into Will and began to shake. Will rested his head atop hers and watched his agent friend nervously. Sydney responded to the sudden gunfire by gripping Vaughn's hand and held it tightly within her own. She drew Vaughn close to her again and whispered into his ear. "We need get out of here-"  
  
"We're done." The voice came again from below. "Get out. Let's find her." A parade of gunfire came once more and then the front door slammed shut tightly. Sydney jumped to her feet and pulled Francie and Will up to theirs.  
  
She checked the window directly across from her and saw the men dressed in black starting to retreat from the house. She watched as the last car started and began to pull away. She turned towards her friends, in complete emissary mode. "Let's go!" She started to bark orders. "Vaughn, let's go." She hissed when he hadn't moved. "Francie, go to your room and get some comfortable clothes. You're gonna need them. You're going to spend the night at a safe house."  
  
"Safe house? Syd, what the hell are you talking about?" Francie let out a fearful cry as Will started to drag her down towards the crawl space.  
  
  
  
Syd patted Will on the shoulder a gave him an understanding look. "It's procedure. It's a place where we'll be safe from this. Mr. Vaughn will take us there but you need to pack some sweats.stuff that you're gonna be comfortable in. Okay?" She gave an almost trust explanation to her confused friend and sent them back towards the crawl space. She began to walk with them but turned around realizing that one person was missing. "Vaughn, get up!"  
  
"Sydney, think rationally for a moment. You're emotions are getting you really hyped up. Calm down." Vaughn had moved and was now starring out the window watching the series of cars pull out. "Think rationally." He turned back towards her, resting his weight on his knees.  
  
"I am not about to let my friends die because of my job! Get your ass up now!" Sydney walked towards him and pulled him forcefully to his feet. "Why are you being like this?"  
  
"Because someone needs to think rationally!"  
  
"Stop using that word!"  
  
"Sydney!"  
  
"Vaughn, shut up! That son of a bitch Sloane is going to kill me and what's left of my family! Let's get going!"  
  
"Sydney, I'm agreeing with you but I need you to think logically for just a minute. You're letting your emotions get to go! Take a breath!" Vaughn grabbed her by the arms and held her there for a moment. She tensed up at his touch but then relaxed with a deep breath. Her eyes met his and she nodded her head slowly. They stayed like that for a few moments, inhaling and exhaling. "Are you okay now?"  
  
"I'm fine. Like I said, let's go." Sydney was still on edge and it was becoming more and more apparent. She shook off his grasp for a minute and looked hurt. "I'm fine. Let's go. I'm gonna kill-"  
  
"Syd." He paused as he got lost in her eyes and his lips parted. She licked her nervously. "C'mon, we gotta get to your friends. We'll take my car." He placed his hand on the small of her back and started to lead her out towards her bedroom. His touch was so comforting and all she really wanted to tell him everything was bottled up inside her and just collapse down to the ground with him and cry on his shoulder. No time. He held onto Sydney with one hand and dialed Devlin with the other. "Devlin, it's Agent Vaughn."  
  
"What the hell do you want now, Vaughn?" Devlin barked on the other end. Sydney heard the tone of his voice and flinched.  
  
"I'm at Sydney Bristow's house."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The hit men were just here. They going to find her. I'm bringing her in with her friends."  
  
"I'm sending both of you out..we'll get your things in order. Come to the Joint Task Force Office." Devlin hung up.  
  
Vaughn managed to laugh a little, "Did ya hear that? We're going off somewhere."  
  
"And Francie and Will?" Sydney didn't wait for an answer before she crawled into the crawl space and jumped down into her closet, unsure of what would greet her when she opened the door. She was mad at the world at that moment. Everything was something to hinder her path.  
  
"Safe house."  
  
"Oh my G-d!" Sydney cried as she pushed the door to the rest of the house opened. Next step in the grieving process: remorse and depression. It has been completely ransacked and destroyed. Her bedroom had been destroyed; all of her frames lay broken and her jewelry box overturn. Her bed was completely undone and destroyed. The only thing that hadn't been touched, though, was her closet. *Those morons probably didn't even notice it there..they were too upset that I wasn't here.* The spy didn't even know where to go first. Try to clean things up, no. That wasn't logical at all. Maybe something had remained unbroken. The light had been ripped from the light socket and one thing on the floor reflect the light brilliantly. It was unbroken. Not bothering to keep her emotions in check, she ran towards her dresser and found that one thing. It was the Christmas present from Vaughn last year. She held the frame to her chest and looked around in disbelief.  
  
"I always thought that I would never be caught." She admitted softly. She starred down at her feet. "That I would be invincible."  
  
"You're not giving up." Vaughn replied, not giving her the chance to back down. "I know you better than that."  
  
"I find myself wondering if I could take back one thing in my life, what I would take back..telling Danny or accepting that card from the recruiter. I still haven't figured it out." She held the frame tighter to her chest. "What does the rest of the house look like?" She wondered slightly aloud.  
  
His eyes glazed over as he looked at her. "Do you still need a minute?"  
  
"I need a hell of a lot more than a minute." She scoffed and turned her head like she had been slapped across the face.  
  
"I understand." And he did. This was a blow below the belt for her. Sloane had taken everything away from her.her fiancé, her home, her safety, and now almost her life. Vaughn walked towards her, mindful to step over debris that littered the floor and stood next to her. He sighed and looked over her out the window.  
  
"I know we need to get going." Sydney sighed and cradled the frame tighter.  
  
He should have said something soothing like, 'take your time' or 'don't worry.' But all that came out was a mere squeak of a voice, "Is that-" He started and starred at the frame.  
  
"It's the frame you gave me last year.it's the only thing they didn't destroy."  
  
"Sydney." The hoarseness of his voice and the tone made her want to breakdown and cry.  
  
"I know." She replied and placed the frame back down. "Lemme just- just grab some decent clothes so I don't have to go in in my pajamas."  
  
"Yeah, I'll go out and see how Francie and Will are doing." He replied and turned back towards the door. It was ajar. His eyes scanned the room once more. The room made him sick to his stomach. Arvin Sloane needed to die today. His desire for destruction was enough to make any man protective of any female friend but somewhere in the past year or so, a line was crossed. Vaughn would kill to protect Sydney from any pain; physical or mental. He made his vow to protect her as he rounded the corner to the living room. The sight was nothing less than frightening. The couch had a small fire brewing on it and the entire kitchen was full of bullet holes. Francie sat huddled in a corner and was crying inconsolably. A duffle bag was placed at her feet and she tried to press herself into the corner between the living room and the kitchen. "Hey." Vaughn's voice was soft and comforting. He walked over, stepping over more debris and crouched down in front of her. "How are you holding up?"  
  
She had a moment of clarity. "Mr. Vaughn.you're kidding right? I mean, no disrespect but you have no idea what this feels like." She sat up a little and attempted to dry her eyes. "This is the worst feeling in the world. Knowing someone actually planned on doing this.destroying us."  
  
"I know there's nothing I can that would make this better. And for your sake and Will's and Syd's, I wish that there were. But, we're going to keep you safe and make sure that you'll never have to deal with this ever again. I won't let these people lay a hand on you or Will or Syd. I swear to you." Vaughn took her hand, resting on her knee and held it tightly in hers. "I swear."  
  
She nodded and leaned forward, caving into his arms. Her sobbing commenced as she gripped Vaughn's shoulder tightly. Everything had been taken from her and yet she trusted a near perfect stranger. She knew nothing about him and he only knew bits and pieces of her. He knew whatever Sydney had told him about her. And there was she, opening her soul to him and crying on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm getting your shirt all wet." She wanted to laugh but it came out sounding like more of a sob.  
  
"No, no. Don't worry about. Just relax. I told you, I'm not letting anything happen to you." He reassured her. They sat there for a few more minutes and Vaughn held her closer, becoming more aware of the eyes glaring at him front the partially intact chair. Green met blue as Will fought to catch his gaze. Francie let out a series of sniffling, immediately followed by, "I'm okay. I'm okay." She straightened up and wiped away her tears. She looked like she had lived through a war but came out just as strong. "I'm gonna grab something to eat before we go. Do I have enough time for that?"  
  
"Yeah." Vaughn leaned back on his haunches and let Francie get to her feet. "Take your time." She walked past him, muttering to herself as she went. Her feet reached the kitchen, where she let out a chilling gasp as she found all of her beautiful professional grade cookie wares completely destroyed. It made everything more of a reality and made her mind shut down.  
  
Will watched Francie with his eyes and waited until she ducked into the kitchen to start talking. "Sloane did this, didn't he? And that son of a bitch..what's his name? Sark?" He was getting defensive, arms crossed over chest.  
  
Vaughn looked at him and shook his head yes. There was no use in attempting to lie to him. "We think he found out about Sydney working for CIA. He probably ordered her murder and whoever else was here." He got to his feet and began to pace around the tattered home. His nervous energy was apparent to all who knew him and even those who didn't know him. "We're gonna get you and Francie safe and then Sydney and I are going to get out of the country."  
  
"For how long?"  
  
A sigh escaped his lips, "I honestly wish I knew."  
  
"You gotta pick up and leave too? What about your girlfriend?"  
  
"Alice?" He had forgotten about her. How would that conversation go, *Hi honey, I'm sorry I can't go to the New Year's party, I'm in Austria hiding from a counter-intelligence organization who has put a hit against Sydney, who you know as Rita, and by the way, I'm falling in love with her.* Yeah, that would go over real well. "She'll understand. She'll have to understand."  
  
"Good." Will took a deep breath for a moment before he started on his tangent. "I hate that man. He's the devil. He needs to burn for doing this. This is the worse thing that has ever happened to Francie or Sydney.well, not so much Sydney. She must be used to it." Will kept talking, barely taking enough time to take a breath. He straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin a little as if to show that he was the Alpha- male, not letting anything happen to the Alpha-female, Sydney.  
  
"I'll attest to that." Vaughn replied, now standing at the door examining how they broke it. It was still intact and attached at the hinges but parts of it had been forcefully opened. One of Marshall's tech devices no doubt had picked the lock and when that failed, they tried to bust it down. "I've made it my personal mission to make sure he burns in hell for everything."  
  
"I think I'll join you, if you don't mind."  
  
"Two men bring down one devil.I think I could use all the help I could get." His green eyes burned with passion for the destruction of Arvin Sloane. Will sensed this and got to his feet.  
  
"Would one woman fit into this equation?" Sydney stood in her doorway with her bag slung over her shoulder and dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt and a black duster tied around her thin waist. "'Cause I would love to take him down."  
  
"Sydney." Will looked at her soberly.  
  
She looked back and forth between the two men standing in front of her. "He's going down for this. No one hurts my family twice and gets away with it."  
  
"Who's down?" Francie asked innocently. She had gone into deep shock and was now wandering around the place with a blank, dumbfounded look on her face. Sydney rushed to her side and put her hand on her arm. "Francie, honey, we gotta get going. Gotta get you safe." Her voice was surprisingly almost cheerful. She knew that she needed to sound like everything was under control..even if it wasn't.  
  
"Okay." Francie's eyes didn't move. She continued to walk towards the front door without pausing or showing signs of any hesitation.  
  
"Post-traumatic." Syd turned her head and whispered to Vaughn who nodded in agreement. She gave Francie a hug and her eyes barely blinked. "You're gonna be just fine, honey. I promise you. This is never going to happen again. I promise you. I swear."  
  
Vaughn looked from Francie to Will and quickly explained, "Shock's setting in already. We'll have some people standing by." Vaughn replied, grabbing his cell phone and dialing a familiar number. "This is Vaughn, we're coming in now. I have two for the safe house with Barnet standing by and two needing complete field make-overs. It's me and Agent Sydney Bristow. We need to get out of the country. Have for us in twenty minutes. Thanks." He put his phone back into his pocket. "All taken care of for her."  
  
"Let's go. I can't stand to be here any longer." Will grabbed his bag and got out of the house before Francie even reached the door.  
  
Vaughn let Will leave first and then put his arm around Francie, comforting as she began to walk to his silver car. *She's just as nice as Syd says she is. Look at this; she trusts me without knowing me.* Vaughn thought as Francie's eyes filled with tears again.  
  
Sydney grabbed her bag and Francie's and followed. She turned to lock the door in vain but then turned back around. "I guess there's really no need." She grabbed her cell and hit speed dial. "Dad, it's me."  
  
"G-d Sydney! Please tell me you're alright."  
  
"I'm fine, Dad." She leaned the little Nokia phone against her shoulder as she adjusted the two overnight bags in her hands. She walked down the little paved sidewalk towards Vaughn's car, carefully scanning the horizon to make sure that there wasn't anyone watching her.  
  
"Sydney."  
  
"I'm fine. We're on the way in to the Joint Task Force.meet me there? I need to see you and I have to go in and see..I have to see mom."  
  
"Why would you subject yourself to that after going through this?"  
  
"Because she might have some answers!" She stopped for a moment as she watched Vaughn and Will coax Francie into the car and buckle her in. It was like having a toddler. Sydney shook her head. She had never seen shock set in that quickly and be that severe. Francie was quickly settled and Will filed in next to her, taking her in his arms. She immediately rested her head on his shoulder and rocked back and forth. Vaughn shut the door tightly and walked around the car to the driver's side. He stood there for a minute, watching Sydney before opening the door and getting in himself. He glanced at the clock, 8:04.  
  
"Sydney." Her father protested on the phone. "I don't want you seeing her-"  
  
"I would much rather see her than Sloane. Might as well pick one devil over the other." Sydney replied, opening the door to Vaughn's passenger door. She quickly got in and fastened the seatbelt over her body. Her feet curled up and she rested her head on her knees. "Besides....she may not be the devil...."  
  
"I'm not going to have this conversation with you after what you've been through. How are Francie and Will holding up?" Jack's normally blank voice was overflowing with emotion. She could hear his expression on his face.  
  
Sydney fell silent and looked at Vaughn, who was nervously adjusting everything that could humanly be adjusted. His eyes quickly met hers and sighed sheepishly. His hands found the keys and the car started. They were on their way. "I-I don't-"  
  
"They're right there, aren't there? I'll see you when you get in." Click. Dial tone.  
  
"Jack Bristow actually showed emotion." Sydney managed to joke, starring at her phone. She held it in her hand and just looked at it like a ghost was about to pop out of it.  
  
"I'm beginning to think he's a lot deeper than people give him credit for."  
  
  
  
Sydney fought back a laugh but managed to smile, "A lot deeper than people give him credit for." She repeated in disbelief. She rested her head back on the window. "This could have been the perfect day. We were staying in...gonna eat Francie's food...watch some old movies, hang out. Do things normal people do on their days off." Her tone was soft and spoke as if only Vaughn was meant to hear it. She didn't have to worry about Francie questioning her words...she was in a deep state of shock and could barely blink or breath. People who weren't used to seeing things like that, it was rough. It was rough for even people who had seen things like that. It just got put into a neat little box in her brain to be dealt with later.  
  
"I heard normal gets boring." Vaughn sped up a little bit.  
  
"Over-rated." Will chirped in. His hands ran over Francie's who still shook violently and starred straight ahead. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. Instead, his eyes rested on Sydney. She was tired from sleep deprivation. Her phone was tucked into her duffle bag. It really wasn't necessary for her to pack it. She was going to be given a new identity and wardrobe. She wanted to groan and laugh at herself for thinking about her new alias. How obnoxious!  
  
"I would still like it for twenty-four hours." Sydney sighed.  
  
"Enjoy normal for the next twenty minutes..we're almost there."  
  
"And good-bye Sydney Bristow, hello..who knows who I'll be." Sydney laughed and sunk back into chair, "I've always wanted to be named something exotic, Adira, maybe."  
  
"Adira?" Vaughn raised his eyebrows. "Isn't the point of this to be memorable but then forgettable? I don't see how you can be named Adira and be forgotten very easily."  
  
"Fine..I'd settle for something like Angel-ica."  
  
"Angie for short?" Her handler wanted to joke and lighten up the situation a little.  
  
"Most girls dream of a husband with a new last name. Me, I dream of a new name and identity."  
  
"But when have you ever been most girls, Syd?" Will piped in.  
  
Vaughn immediately tensed up as heard Will call her by the nickname he used all the time. He gripped the steering wheel tightly until his knuckles turned white.  
  
"That's true." Sydney's eyes watched Vaughn's hands. There was jealousy in the air between Will and Vaughn but she knew that was just the way things were going to happen. Silence coated them once again for the fourth or fifth time that morning but this time she was given time to reflect on everything. Her home was destroyed. Not somebody else's..hers. Francie's life had been destroyed and this post traumatic stress disorder would stay with her for years. And it was all her fault. "I did this to her." She spoke softly aloud. 


	4. Life is A Road, I Wanna Keep Going

"What?" Vaughn hushed his voice and kept glancing back and forth between the road and her.  
  
"I destroyed Will and then Francie. And I'm going to destroy you and for that, I am so sorry. You should have gone home when I told you to. You shouldn't have come." Sydney's eyes got wide as she focused on the road and came to the realization of her world and the effects on others. "I destroyed Danny first and now all of you are falling in line."  
  
**Oh Sydney, don't do this to be me right now. I need you to stay strong.* He wanted to slam on the breaks and snap at her out of this but again, there wasn't enough time. "Sydney, don't do this." His reply seemed coarser than he meant it to.  
  
"It's too late." Will duly noted. "She's made up her mind about something."  
  
"Yeah, I see it." Vaughn glanced in his rearview mirror.  
  
"She's got that-"  
  
"Look in her eye." Vaughn finished Will's statement.  
  
"Doesn't take long for you to catch onto her things, does it?"  
  
"How long did it take you?"  
  
"A day, give or take."  
  
"Yeah, me too." He relaxed a little and for almost a split second, forgot what had happened only minutes ago. Will and he had made some headway and it was almost possible that they were becoming friendly. Will nodded at him and it was possible that he could have been thinking the same thing. "Yeah." Vaughn repeated. His green eyes focused on the curves in the road ahead. They were almost there and fear rose like bile in his dry throat. He cleared it loudly and loosened his grip on the wheel. Where would he and Sydney be sent? How long would they be gone? Random thoughts filled his head. If he was sent away, what would they tell his mother? Images of his mother collapsing in the middle of her living room, crying for her lost son who wasn't really lost. He swallowed hard in the present and felt his forehead crease. "Sydney, listen to me, until this over, you need to put your game face on. You're slipping and I won't let you. Think later, act now."  
  
She ran her hands over her face again, "You're right. I'm letting this get to me. I have to stay put together." And her whole attitude change. She was sitting up straighter and her chin was lifted up higher. "Let's go."  
  
Will couldn't believe what just happened. It was too surreal. She had snapped out of that like absolutely nothing had happened. A newfound respect washed over him and he couldn't help but stare at Sydney. She was so strong, as strong as he would have to be for Francie. Things were moving to fast and as far as he knew, his make-shift home could be burning in flames, catching from the small embers on the couch. There were so many memories there that he couldn't bear not going back there. Regardless the outcome of this, whatever this was, he would return to the house and rest there for a while. It would become a pilgrimage.  
  
Sydney's thoughts were rapid. It skipped back and forth as her eyes darted around the fast moving car. Vaughn was pushing seventy in a fifty zone. She never knew he could drive like that. Badge or not, he shouldn't have been driving like that. The tired woman pulled her knees closer to her chest and rocked back and forth. There would have to be a long session with Barnet to repair this disaster. She finally managed to get comfortable and starred out the window. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a low bun, a kickback from her days as a dancer. Her chest expanded and contracted as she drew deep breaths, stretching out her back. Where Vaughn's hand had been was still warm and tingling. He was probably the only thing keeping her sane. He was her rock, her redeemer, her everlasting shield. If he crumbled, she would be dead by sunset. She was so independent in everything but for the time being, she was emotionally dependant on him. This is something he almost knew.  
  
His tires screeched as he pulled into the parking garage. He had never gotten out of the car so fast in his life. If it weren't for his quick thinking, he would have barely remembered to take his keys out of the ignition. His hands threw his seatbelt off and his door opened with a sudden force from the inside. Barely taking the time to adjust his weight on feet, he turned towards the backseat doors and he opened Will and Francie's doors. Things were so urgent that if they weren't in the building in a few minutes something could and would happen. Sydney met him out of the car, getting out equally as fast. Will unbuckled and held Francie tightly in his arms. He had never been there and was suddenly nervous. Will looked around the parking garage and started to walk towards the elevator with the rest of the group. His mouth was dry and dropping more and more open with every step. The cold pavement echoed their footsteps throughout the place. Vaughn and Sydney walked strongly and hit the button for the elevator. She turned towards Francie, still standing in Will's arms and comforted. Vaughn turned towards Will, standing on the opposite side of him.  
  
"You've lived through a murder attempt, Will, going through the Joint Task Force will be nothing."  
  
The elevator started with a jolt and moved down four floors. Francie's personality was beginning to come back a little. Shock was funny thing. It came and went in waves. Her poor mind wasn't used to such trauma, trauma the double agent faced on a daily basis. She glanced cautiously around and gripped Sydney's hand tightly. Her lips went dry but she seemed calmer. The elevator came to a jolted stop and they exited into the main office.  
  
  
  
"Agent Bristow, Agent Vaughn!" a rookie ran out of the office and called out to them, trotting at a decent pace behind them.  
  
"You are?" Sydney whipped around and faced the agent, who looked all of about twelve. The older agent was immediately defensive.  
  
"My name is Chayse Zurch. Mr. Devlin and Mr. Kendell sent me to meet you at the door. Follow me please." She began to walk around the corner towards the center of the office. It was the same hallway that Vaughn had ran after Sydney, just missing her only four months ago. "Ms. Calfo and Mr. Tippin need to come with me. We have a car waiting to take them to the safe house." She motioned to a handful of young, raw looking agents who rushed towards Francie and Will, taking them off somewhere. Francie started to look panic again and Sydney opened her mouth to reassure her but the forceful rookies tore them apart, peeling them away towards an unseen part of the building. Will looked equally unnerved but instead of attempting of fighting the force, he went along with. It was like he was almost familiar with process, especially after his ordeal with SD-6 in the past.  
  
"It's okay. You ahead. You're gonna be fine." Sydney shouted after them, attempting to calm them. "You're gonna be just fine."  
  
"You two, Agent Bristow and Vaughn, are leaving immediately on a plane to Madrid. Here are your clothes, passports, and other necessary papers that you will need. Take the van, Agent Weiss is standing by the drive you to LAX." She took the bags from Sydney and casually tossed them towards a daydreaming agent, who sloppily caught them and started to look more alert again. "Go give those to Ms. Calfo and Mr. Tippin!" She barked at the agent.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere until I see my father." Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Chayse.  
  
  
  
"I'm right here." A familiar voice piped up.  
  
"Dad." She whipped around and saw her father standing there in a black suit. She rushed towards him, a whole three yards and didn't care. She needed to go back in time a daddy's girl for just a moment. She threw her arms around him and held onto him so tightly that she never wanted to let go. Her breath was nothing more than mere gasps. He started to peel her off of his body and she agreed, reluctantly.  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine." She replied, standing before him looking up into his cold gray eyes.  
  
"Good."  
  
"How did this happen?" She asked, wishing answers would simply shower down upon her, washing away her wounds. Vaughn had turned on his heels and stood against Sydney's shoulder, listening to a man that rarely showed emotion.  
  
"I don't know but I'm going in within a matter of time to find some answers. Arvin's bound to tell me. But you, you need to go and I will be in touch with you as soon as you get to Madrid. You and Mr. Vaughn will be going as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Peter DeMarco. You'll be staying at the Rosita resort in Madrid. At LAX, you'll meet with a contact, Anne Marie." He revealed a picture from his briefcase. Anne Marie was a pretty red-head with cold blue eyes. Vaughn immediately looked away from the picture. He couldn't see her again.  
  
Jack continued, eyeing Vaughn in suspicion. "She'll be at the Air France counter and she'll just go over everything with you, check you in and all that. She has your entire luggage with the exception of your carry-ons. Follow her and you'll bypass security; you'll be armed at all times. But when you get to Madrid, a man will be waiting for you." He showed them a picture of man who had olive colored skin and the darkest brown eyes Sydney had ever seen, "He'll have your luggage in his car. From the airport, you will go to the hotel Rosita. You'll stay there until we believe it is safe. I'll keep an eye on Will and Francie and will be in touch." He need to keep their meeting brief because she was like a walking time bomb that was willing to go off at any moment. "I'll be in touch at the hotel. I'll call your room." Her honey brown eyes watched him turn his back on her and start to walk about.  
  
He walked away, leaving them alone with the babbling agent. They barely bothered to turn around back towards Chayse. They instead turned towards each other and looked back and forth at each other. Chayse's tongue went a mile a minute, reiterating all the information Jack had just went over. She finally finished. *It's about time! Jesus, all that girl does is talk* thought Sydney. The rookie threw a large duffle bag at Vaughn, glared at him for a moment and then walked away.  
  
Sydney and Vaughn walked out of office and back to the elevator. The bag laid heavy over his shoulder. They couldn't exchange words. Nothing sounded like right. They made their way towards the town car and hoped inside. It was black with black leather interior. Weiss was sitting up front and acknowledged the two agents. He opened his mouth to joke but instead turned the ignition. The car pulled out and Sydney leaned back into her seat. They needed to keep moving but she couldn't bring herself to put new clothes on. Finally, unwillingly, she leaned forward and brought the privacy glass up. Weiss wouldn't get a full view of her.  
  
"Yeah, I know." Vaughn shrugged his shoulders to answer the unasked question and set the big duffle bag in the center of the seats. He sat on the right and her on the left. She opened the bag first and revealed a gold halter top with a black peasant skirt and black Roman sandals. There was a brown and blonde highlighted wig that was similar to the one that she wore when she did the op with Dixon with the fire alarm and..she didn't even remember where it was. She turned her back to Vaughn and faced the side of the car. It wasn't much better than facing Weiss or Vaughn head on. Somebody would get a full view of her. Frustrated, she turned her back against the privacy glass and sank down off the seat. Vaughn sensed what she was doing and sat up on the seat, with his back to her, facing the door. She stripped, laying out her clothes in front of her with his gun on top and started to change when she suddenly became aware that Vaughn was doing the same thing. Her eyes were cast down low and tried not stare at the muscular back angled in front of her. She focused her thoughts on getting change and being this new person. Her halter top was not yet tied when the car jolted and the two adults jerked against each other, feeling each other's bare skin against each other. Vaughn had fallen forwards against the door and Sydney against him. They felt each other. She gasped and immediately knew she wanted to feel the touch of his skin more often. His head quickly tilted to the side and he began to murmur his apologizes and she sat there, with her mouth gaping open. "Easy Weiss!" He managed to bark.  
  
She finished tying her halter top, extremely embarrassed and rejoined Vaughn on the seat. "Okay." She murmured as she started to make her way towards the seat and immediately turned her body aware from him. He, knowing her so well, had already slid over to allow her more room. He had nearly finished dressing, buttoning up his shirt which was a natural linen color. He needed to change his pants, so he did, moving as fast as possible. He sensed her being uncomfortable and wanted to relieve he tension in the air as quickly as humanly possible. He began to apply make- up to make his pale skin darker. It was applied with a thick make-up sponge and covered him like a suffocating blanket. He took a hazardous looking brush and ran it through his hair, leaving a faint gray tint behind and then applied it lightly to the stubble on his face. As he finished, he cleared his throat and he started to replace his evergreen eyes with honey brown ones.  
  
She pulled her skirt over her pants and wormed her way out of them, still avoiding Vaughn's indiscreet eyes. She leaned forward and changed out of her sneakers and into a pair of high, uncomfortable sandals that tied half-way up her calves. Her wig went next, followed new make-up, one making her skin a few shades darker and then finally, green colored contacts. They were a bit rougher to put in. Weiss wasn't exactly the best driver. Her eyes quickly caught Vaughn's, who now had replaced his green eyes with brown ones.  
  
"Looks like we switched." Sydney replied to Vaughn clearing his throat.  
  
"Looks like it." He looked down, as he had developed a habit of and laughed a little. "Sydney, how are you doing?"  
  
Sydney started to rummage through the bag again and pulled out a black wrap ballet sweater and tied it around her body. "How I am doing? Look at me Vaughn; I don't have time to fall apart." She shook her head softly and turned to finish applying her make-up. She made her eyes soft and elegant and wore coral red lipstick. Portia was elegant and refined. She continued her digging and found a black back pack, filled with two water bottles, her passport, and other odds and ends.  
  
His eyes lingered on her body for a moment and then continued, "That's not what I asked. How are you doing?" He pressed on as he was handed a wallet and passport and SOP papers. He flipped it open. For the time being, he was Peter DeMarco, a well to do businessman who had married his high school sweetheart, Portia Flint, and had three children. Peter and Portia were going to Madrid for a second honeymoon.  
  
"Well, Peter, I'm fine." Sydney replied, glancing over his shoulder to look at his passport. She spoke with an elegant, faint British accent.  
  
"Well Portia, I don't believe you." He matched her accent and immediately dropped it, "Do you still have my gun?"  
  
She fastened the holster around her waist, hidden beneath the ruffles of the skirt, "Do you have a holster?"  
  
"Yeah." He replied, tapping his hip with his free hand. "Are you ready to do this?" Because he knew he sure as hell wasn't. He hated field ops with a passion, even if it was with Sydney. Tai Pai had worried him but he was willing to die on the job, just like his father. His father would do anything to protect another agent and so would he. He had to be his father, whether he liked it or not.  
  
"Well kiddies, we're here!" Weiss proclaimed, disrupting Vaughn's thoughts. He pulled up to the curb, empty of others cars. He was cleverly disguised as a driver, huh of all things! He wore a black suit with a beard. It barely looked like him but the same Weiss smile can beaming back at them as he opened Sydney's door and ran to open Vaughn's. He only stumbled slightly. "Good luck and hey, try to have fun!" He smiled at the two nervous agents and began to make his way towards his door.  
  
"Thank you." Sydney replied, already using her accent. A piece of hair was tucked behind her ear; it was her thing when she had become someone else. She threw the bag over her shoulder and smiled at Weiss and then at Vaughn. No nerves, no guts, no glory.  
  
"We'll be back soon." Vaughn answered Weiss' raised eyebrows almost begging him to ask when they would return. He shook Weiss's hand and put his arm around Sydney' back. "You all ready, dear?"  
  
She looked at him, attempting to erase the hurt she felt from his touch, "Yeah," she swallowed, "let's go."  
  
They walked into the quiet airport, tickets in hand. Vaughn became very protective of her, not letting his hand leave a part of her body at any time. They needed to pull this off if Sydney ever wanted to come back to the states.  
  
"I don't understand why they didn't charter for us." She softly whispered as they walked towards the Air France desk.  
  
"I don't either but maybe your dad with tell us something."  
  
"I didn't get to talk to my mother."  
  
Change of topic! "Speaking of mothers, you're a mother of three.. just so I get this straight, our children's names-"  
  
"I've always loved the name Laura for a girl and Aiden for a boy. William could be mistaken for, you know. One more name?"  
  
"And Iris." He wouldn't let her say the third name, Irinia. He could almost sense where she was headed with the conversation and shot him a questioning look. He shook his head softly no.  
  
"Iris." She repeated in disbelief. "Where did you come up with that name?"  
  
"Combination of your mother and mine." Vaughn answered softly, picking up his pace slightly towards the young girl working at the counter.  
  
"What's your mother's name?"  
  
"Felicity." He responded, barely looking at her. His concentration was at the girl standing alone at the counter, not on her. It couldn't be on her. Sydney was suddenly a blur and all he could focus on was Anne Marie. He recognized the agent but he really didn't think that it would be her. He felt his heart starting to race and he didn't want to see her again. There was a large counter with people standing behind, checking in others with their luggage. It was a long narrow hallway and at the very end, there was a door that read "Authorized Personal ONLY"  
  
"Pretty name." She remarked and leaned into his arm a little and managed to almost smile. "Felicity Vaughn?  
  
"Uh-huh." He was suddenly cold to her and shut her out. She took notice of this and straightened up a little bit. Something was up and she fully planned on questioning him on it later. They continued on in silence, aware of everyone around them, hoping no one worked for SD-6 or any of the SD cells. They pressed on further, being swallowed alive by the noise that consumed the LA airport. The girl was the girl from the picture. They walked towards the line in front of her and waited patiently their turn. She was bent over a computer screen and the events of the day began to show on her face.  
  
"Bonjour et bienvenue à Air France. Je m'appelle Anne Marie. Comment est-ce que je puis vous aider aujourd'hui? Le préféreriez-vous si je parlais anglais ou français?" She spoke sweetly. (Hello and welcome to Air France. My name is Anne Marie. Can I help you ? How may I be of service of you to you today? Would you prefer it if I spoke French or English."  
  
"Ah oui, francais bien sur. Je m'appelle Peter DeMarco." Vaughn steadily replied. (Ah, yes, French of course. My name is Peter DeMarco.)  
  
"Ampèreheure, M. DeMarco. J'ai déjà reçu votre appel téléphonique. Voici vos passages d' embarquer. J'espère que tout jusqu'ici va aussi sans à-coup que possible à votre voyage à Madrid, Espagne. Si vous satisferiez suivez-moi, je pourra vous aider." (Ah, Mr. DeMarco. I have already received your telephone call. Here are your boarding passes. I hope everything so far is going as smoothly as possible for your trip to Madrid, Spain. If you would please follow me, I will be able to assist you.)  
  
She quickly put up a closed sign on her counter, much to the dismay of the people in line behind Sydney and Vaughn, and motioned for them to follow her to a room at the end of the hall. She wore a black suit and had her hair brushed back from her face but nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. Sydney couldn't help but realize it was a similar trait to what she always did. Anne Marie ushered them into the door. It slammed tightly behind them with an echoing thud. "Agent Sydney Bristow, I presume? And Michael Vaughn? It's so good to see you again!"  
  
"Yes, it is." He replied sharply. He was avoiding her eyes, knowing exactly what she would look like.  
  
"You know what's going on and who I am? I am correct in assuming this?" Anne Marie continued and walked down the hallway, checking over her shoulder every once and a while.  
  
"Yes, unfortunately." Sydney spoke up. She looked from Vaughn to Anne Marie and suddenly hated her more than she hated Alice. This woman was openly flirting with Vaughn with her body language!  
  
"Good, then follow me."  
  
The new agent walked down a white hallway, winding tightly in on itself and when they finally reached a door, she pulled it opened, revealing the entrance to the plane. "Please be safe, Agent Bristow, Michael." She touched Vaughn's arm compassionately and looked at him lovingly. "Be safe, Michael." Her French accent was apparent as she hushed her voice. "Please."  
  
"Thank you, Anne Marie." Vaughn replied and returned a grateful smile. His head turned as she began to walk back, dipping her head to stare at her feet. His eyes watched her for a moment as she walked away, seeing exactly what he had let go of.  
  
Sydney stood next to him and fumed with jealousy. It was bad enough that he had a girlfriend but he was openly flirting with this foreign agent! She crossed her arms defensively. Her brown now green eyes narrowed and she attempted not to glare at this woman.  
  
"Are you ready to go, Syd?" Vaughn offered his arm and pushed forward into the open area. His head turned back around and he attempted a smile at her.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." Sydney replied, starring in front of her, lifting her chin in preparation for whatever would lay ahead. "But we need to go. We're going to start to board soon." She had a hurt tone to her voice and was mad at the word again.  
  
"Yeah." Vaughn replied and they made their way towards the chairs reserved for those waiting to board the plane. He jumped into his part, "Sweetie, are you mad about something?"  
  
She held her tongue right behind her teeth as she debated to open her mouth, not as Sydney but as Portia. Her stubbornness interfered, "Who was the girl, Peter?"  
  
Vaughn felt the crimson rise in his flushed cheeks, "We met on a vacation," really a mission, "before I met you." His accent was a combination of English and French and made Sydney's heart flutter so quickly against her will.  
  
"She seemed nice." She lied. * She seemed like a lying, scheming, two brain little bitch. No, really. *  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that- Porsche, are you jealous?" He smiled his oh so gorgeous smile at her and held his hand across her back. "You have no reason to be. She was nothing. You're my wife." His smiled dimmed as he watched her reaction. Her eyes got wide for a split second, "Sweetie, I'm in love with you..you shouldn't be jealous of Anne."  
  
He had to say wife! He had to! "I don't believe I'm jealous. I don't get jealous." She crossed her legs as she sat down. "I am not jealous." And he had to say that he was in love with. She rolled her eyes and ended the conversation. "I'm not."  
  
Vaughn slumped further into his chair and smirked at her. "Anyway."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Yes, sweetie." He promptly ended the conversation that would relate anyway to Anne Marie. In truth, they had dated for a while.okay more than a little while but more like a year. He was more than in love with her but she, she was seeing someone else on the side. He had found out one summer day and was completely devastated. He retreated away from life for a little bit after that. His spark had been reunited after he met Alice and then he cooled off and then again after he met Sydney but cooled off after he met Alice. His love life was the worst thing in his life. It was as if all of his past loves managed to resurface just to bite him in the ass. Why couldn't love be easy? No, better question. Why couldn't he be in love with the one girl he was supposed to be in love with and stop loving the girl he couldn't?  
  
"Now boarding all first class seats." The airport worker droned on the announcement system.  
  
"That's us, darling." Vaughn rose and took Sydney's hand in his. Again, he held onto her tightly as they made their way down another long hallway but this one ended on the plane. Sydney felt her heart palpitate as her heels clicked against the carpeted floor and almost gasped as she boarded the plane. Was it because Vaughn gripped her back so tightly? Or because this was it? This was it. This was the end of her former life. She was no longer a bank employee to her friends, a double agent at the CIA, maybe not even Sydney Bristow anymore. She was now Portia DeMarco and as she stepped on the plane, she hated the name and the way she looked. Everything tasted raw and turned her stomach. The airplane was overly air conditioned and seemed to attack her skin and spirit. Everything was disgusting. The make-up, the clothes, the contacts, the gun, the shoes, everything. It was vile to her but she kept walking, allowing her concentration to find their seats. 


	5. I'm Gonna Fly Away

"Are you all right?" He commented quickly underneath his breath. She hesitated, something she never did. He knew her too well for that.  
  
"I'm fine." She replied and never let her body falter again. She was standing in front of him and followed in line behind a few other people. First class were the last seats to board. She carefully scanned three rows of seats before coming to 1A and 1B. CIA had sprung for first class seats. It went with their aliases. "Here are our seats." She tried to seem cheerful. She collapsed into her seat next to the window and Vaughn right next to her. Her hand pilfered through her bag until she found a bottle of sleeping pills. For the second time that day, she popped a pill in her mouth and swallowed down on it, splashing some water from a water bottle in her mouth to help it down. She let her bag tumble to the ground, lying at her feet. Her hand then rested against her forehead and her arm against the armrest. "I'm just tired." *Or at least I will be tired in about two minutes.* "I'm just in shock, I guess."  
  
"Yeah, that's true." He was in shock himself. "But you're safe. We're almost home free. To Madrid." Madrid was one of the true foreign places in the world to him. It was funny. He had been to Paris, Moscow, Tai Pai but he had never been to Madrid and Madrid was a staple of the European tour.  
  
She watched him file into the seat next to hers, on the right hand side of the plane, window seat. It was comfortable, sure but she would have preferred to have been in her own bed or eating Francie's breakfast. Her hands were cold as she ran them over her face, resting over her mouth as her thoughts drifted back to the breakfast that was probably burning on the counter. "This isn't happening." She finally spoke, her voice getting caught up in her throat for a moment. "This just isn't happening."  
  
His body collapsed down next to her and he let his body flop for a moment. "Hey." His hands touched her wrist and his voice was so gentle, "It did." The phrase was supposed to be soothing but it just sounded harsh. "Here." He moved the armrest between them up and opened his arms. "Relax, stretch out. It's okay, come on. You look like you need to unwind. C'mon."  
  
An unintentional gasp escaped her lips. No, it wasn't really a gasp as much as it was a sharp inhale on her part. She was so hesitant. But, hey, what was she afraid of? Of getting caught? Too late, that had already happened and there wasn't a blessed thing that she could do about it. They had already been seen in public..on that date in Paris, complete with that disaster. Sydney smiled softly and nodded. She turned her back on him and rested her head on his chest. He smelled the same as before and comforting. "How did this happen?"  
  
His chin rested atop her head and he tried to match his breathing to hers. "I wish I knew." And his arms wrapped around her tightly. There were so many nights that he dreamed of holding her like this. It was a dream within a nightmare.  
  
Her eyes fluttered as she fought off sleep, "I hate to sound selfish, but I'm really glad that you're here." They fluttered faster and faster until they stayed shut. She was still alert but the pills worked quickly. She couldn't believe what had happened..to her home or the fact that she was in Vaughn's arms. There were too many nights that she lay awake in envy of Alice simply because she was in his arms.  
  
"I'm glad that I'm here too." His voice dropped the accent and dropped let his voice drop so low, it was husky and sexy.  
  
"I feel so bad about leaving them. I wish they could have come." Anyone walking by would have assumed that this was just a depressed mother talking about her children staying home while she on vacation. Francie, "She is probably following apart."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But they're better off with Chayse. I know you know that." He lied. Francie and Will were better off being with Sydney and explaining what had happened. Francie was probably in session with Barnet, who could never really understand what was going on and Will was probably with Jack, attempting to reflect what happened. And Kendal and Devlin were probably bouncing off the walls with worry or agitation of Sydney's discovery.  
  
"They really are. She'll take good care of them while we're away." She quickly responded, her eyes still shut. "There are some sleeping pills in my bag, if you want."  
  
"Oh, okay. Thanks."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
Silence filled the two of them again as the last few passengers began to file in to the long, direct flight to Madrid. They received some glances from people, gazing carelessly at the other passengers. Vaughn couldn't help but smile a little. They were people watching, just like he had this morning.  
  
"So tell me, how did you find out?" She began, unsure as to where the conversation was going to go and glad again that she couldn't see his eyes. She wrestled with herself for a moment until she found a comfortable position. Vaughn reacted by stretching his legs out and angled them towards Sydney's seat.  
  
It was time to tell the truth. "I was in the park, running with Donovan and I heard these men talking in Russian about the bluebird falling and her being disloyal. I assumed it was you, ran home and you know the rest." He barely said aloud.  
  
She licked her lips and nodded against his chest. "That's," a yawn came unexpected, "what I figured happened. You sounded so nervous."  
  
"I was nervous." He admitted, scarcely uttering the words out loud.  
  
She knew he got nervous but for some strange reason, she didn't think he got scared. Could it be he actually got scared, for her? "I was more nervous because you were."  
  
"That's what I figured." Vaughn felt the blush flood his face. "Are you doing okay?" He couldn't help but wonder if she was really in his arms. Maybe he was just dreaming but no, he felt her breath against his chest. She was really lying against him, her trust entirely in him.  
  
"I will be." She replied taking time for each full breath to expand her lungs. *My father would kill us if he saw me laying across my seat and into your lap. No, he would kill you for letting me do this. But I don't care. It's okay. I'm safe and so far, so are you.* "Do you think we made it?"  
  
"We've made it, Porsche." A nickname had already been adopted. She maybe have been Portia to the world at that moment but he shortened it, taking the last "a" off of her name. It was like Sydney to Syd.  
  
You are beautiful In every single way Words can't bring you down No You are beautiful No matter what they say Words can't bring us down.  
  
"Thank you for everything Peter." She replied, letting her body collapse on top of his with a heavy sigh. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around her and fell in love with her scent. It was of lavender, pancakes, and Vaughn opened his mouth to say something but his words were lost on her.her eyes had shut and she had fallen asleep. But it didn't matter. He could have watched her sleep for the full fourteen hour flight but as the plane landed, he realized that he had fallen asleep, Sydney still cradled in his arms. She had awoken but didn't want to disturb him.  
  
"Hey." She breathed as he opened his eyes and began to stir.  
  
"Hey." He drowsily mumbled back as he let his arms relax around her, allowing her to sit up. Her back began to spasm as her position changed.  
  
"My back." She murmured to herself.  
  
"Did we land yet?"  
  
She smiled back at him, rubbing her lower back and sitting up just so straight, "We're about to. You woke up just in time."  
  
"How long was I sleeping?"  
  
"Well, I woke up around once eight-ish and you were just drifting off and it's midnight now." She smiled at him and grabbed her bag. It was a great knock off Prada black backpack. "Aren't sleeping pills wonderful?"  
  
"Yeah, I grabbed one about an hour into the flight. I haven't felt this rested since, well, since this morning." He returned the smile and leaned deeply into his chair. Sighing was about the only thing he felt like he could do. There was no good topic of conversation that didn't involve their CIA lives. "You aren't the easies thing to move once you're sleeping. You sleep like a rock."  
  
"Don't you just love sleeping pills?" she asked as Portia, not Sydney the girl who hated taking medication.  
  
There was nothing to talk about between them. There was but she didn't want to bring it up. Okay, it was killing her to ask that one question but she couldn't. She wouldn't. She moistened her lips and opened her mouth to ask the one question that she had been thinking about for four hours. She looked at him and started.  
  
"What are you going to do about Alice?" She finally asked.  
  
"She'll have to understand, sweetie." He enforced his accent.  
  
"But-" And she did hers.  
  
"No buts. If she can't handle me-"  
  
"Are you sure? I mean you're...you're going to..You're going to be with me for who knows how long-"  
  
"She'll have to understand." He pressed his lips together into a straight line and answered her firmly. "If not, then it'll be over."  
  
The plane started its descent and with it rapid acceleration down to the ground, the acceleration of their new lives, for at least the time being.  
  
"And what about your dog?"  
  
"Our dog." He firmly corrected, playing with the wedding band on his finger. Midway through the flight, he had remembered a box that Anne Marie had slipped into his pocket. In it, there was a plain gold band and a diamond ring. He had slipped Sydney's ring onto her delicate left hand and he had put his band on his. "Donovan will understand. Eric will look out for him."  
  
Sydney smiled but quickly looked down at her hand. There wasn't a ring on there a few hours ago. She opened her mouth to say something but promptly decided against it. Her eyes were cast down and rested on her hand. She brought her hand towards her body and rested it on her chest. There hadn't been a ring on that finger since Danny died.  
  
He watched her examine her ring for a moment and leaned over towards her, "I found them in my pocket. Anne Marie must've slipped them into my pocket when I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"Oh. It's beautiful." She looked back and forth between Vaughn and the ring, which was a diamond solitaire set in the tradition Tiffany setting.  
  
"It's engraved." He pushed her a little, with his eyes begging her to removed the ring and look inside.  
  
She did and squinted to see the tiny engraving. An involuntary gasp, followed by a smile, and then her eyes filling with tears was the reaction.  
  
  
  
"Mine says almost same thing inside." Vaughn replied, acknowledging her reaction.  
  
"To my love, your guardian angel." Sydney recited, a single tear escaping her honey brown eyes.  
  
"Mine says to my guardian angel, your love."  
  
  
  
There was no hitch at the airport. The exit was flawless from the airplane. Anyone who passed them would have guessed that they were happily married and very much in love. It was mushy and fluffy. The last agent that they needed to meet was met without problems and were quickly ushered into a black limo. They arrived at the hotel and went straight up the desk. "Names?" the hotel clerk asked. Vaughn's hand never left part of her body and took a moment every now and then to pull her closer and whisper into her ear. She in turned, smiled and pressed her cheek against his.  
  
"I don't know if they're under your name or mine, darling. Try mine first, Portia DeMarco." Sydney smiled and rested her arms against the gold brushed counter top. She gladly furnished her newly applied fake nails. The gold nail polish caught the candlelight from the countertop.  
  
"If not, attempt Mr. Peter DeMarco." Vaughn filled in, stepping up to stand next to his "wife."  
  
"Ah yes. You'll be paying in advance, Mr. DeMarco?" The clerk looked up and began to smile brightly at him. She took her hand and placed it near her jaw line. Sydney couldn't help but feel a ping in the bottom of her stomach..was this Spanish girl flirting with her Vau- Vaughn. Not her Vaughn, just Vaughn in general. She didn't own him or belonged to him. Why shouldn't she want to flirt with him? Vaughn was cute, sexy, sweet, and Sydney snapped to attention. She needed to focus on what was at hand. And that matter was fooling everyone at the hotel that she and Vaughn were more than happily married.  
  
"Yes, of course." Vaughn sighed and opened his wallet. Someone had put a picture of three children in-computer generated to look like them. He glanced nervously at Sydney, who tipped her head towards the hotel clerk and scowled.  
  
"How adorable, what are their names?" The clerk noticed the photo.  
  
"Aiden, Laura. And Iris."  
  
"Beautiful names." The clerk remarked.  
  
"Oh thank you." Sydney smiled sweetly and watched intently the exchange of money when her cell rang. She smiled brightly and reached into her purse and pulled it out. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello Mrs. DeMarco. I'm just calling to tell you that the children are fine."  
  
"Porsche, who is it?" Vaughn placed his hand lovingly on her arm.  
  
"Oh, it's the nanny." She shook him off a little bit.  
  
"How is my little boy doing? Oh, is Laura traumatized by my leaving, Chayse?"  
  
"No, Francie's fine." Jack sighed.  
  
Sydney took the phone away from her ear and smiled brightly. "Please excuse me for a moment." She glanced quickly from Vaughn to the clerk and back again.  
  
"Of course." Vaughn nodded at her and turned back to paying with the new credit cards.  
  
Her phone was brought back to her ear and turned to pace to the lobby complete with fountains, chandeliers, and large bouquets of flowers. Everything was white and gold with just a splash of red every now and then. Her black heels clicked in time with classical music that played throughout the lobby. "I'm sorry, Chayse, I'm back."  
  
"Good. Everything went well, I'm assuming?" Jack continued.  
  
"Yes, very well and we're just checking in now." Her accent was so delicate.  
  
"I spoke to your mother."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"She wrote you a letter. It's being sent and should arrive by tomorrow."  
  
"That's wonderful." She exclaimed with false enthusiasm.  
  
"How many sleeping pills do you take?"  
  
"One."  
  
"And him?"  
  
"And of course!" Sydney replied, letting her head rise up and looked at the gilded ceiling. It was all handcrafted and elegant.  
  
Jack sighed in disgust over the phone, "You both need to get to sleep as soon as possible. Those pills work for twelve hours but stay in your system for up to eighteen. You're not used to them and will have a profound effect on both you and him."  
  
"Yes, I know and please, tell them I love them too and I'll talk to them very, very soon." Sydney replied, registering the information quickly. He was right, things were becoming a little fuzzy again and she felt the desperate need to sleep.  
  
"Darling, we're ready!" Vaughn called as he walked away from the counter towards Sydney.  
  
"I'm sorry I have to go. I shall call you later?" '  
  
"When you get settled." Jack replied.  
  
"Give the children my love. Bu-bye." Sydney clicked her phone off and put it in bag, slung over her shoulder. She reached over and picked up her suitcase and it was at that moment that she started to feel every heart beat in her head and every breath in her chest.  
  
"Let's go." Vaughn ushered her towards the elevator. His hand were on the small of her back again and his other hand pulled his luggage and she pulled her black case as well. "Everything all right?"  
  
"Just fine, everyone's settling in."  
  
"That's good, that's good." Vaughn attempted to sound like he knew what he was doing and what was going on. The elevator doors shut and they were the only ones in there. Vaughn immediately relaxed and leaned against the back of the way, still facing forward. Sydney smirked at Vaughn's relaxation and stayed straight, watching the doors with an unreadable face. His eyes watched her intently and finally he spoke, "What are you thinking about?"  
  
"How much I love hotels." Sydney smiled, tipped her head at the gilded doors. She never dropped character once. "I love travel."  
  
"Since when? In all the years I've known you, you've hated to fly, hated to sleep in any bed that wasn't your own." He stayed in character too, painfully aware of the security camera pointed at him.  
  
"Since this trip, darling." She turned her body away from the camera, her too aware of its presence. Luckily, there was only one. She started to talk again but mouthed her words, "Talked to my mother."  
  
"And how are the children doing?" Vaughn picked up on her game quickly, standing up a little straighter. It wasn't the most intelligent response but it was the only thing he could think of. His mind wasn't working right. Something was seriously off.  
  
"Chayse said that they were doing well. Why, are you still worried?" She played with the ring on her finger as she waited for Vaughn to reply. He didn't understand exactly what Irinia had to say. Maybe she knew something about the discovery. It could be possible that Sloane didn't find out  
  
"Yeah." He replied as the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened. They revealed a beautiful gold table with mirror above it. On either side of the table were two red overstuffed chair and a hallway leading left and right. They exited out, careful to carry all of their stuff out. A bellboy had been refused simply because of security matters. They turned left down the hallway and followed the yellow, gold, and red carpet to room 4358. Vaughn took the initiative and slide the key into the door. It opened with a squeak. Inside was a hallway with a bathroom on the left and a mirrored closet directly across from it. There was a large king sized bed in the room with a TV in a walnut casing. Attached to the stand was an L shape desk with a phone, computer, and fax machine. At the very edge of the room was a large bay window with gold and white sheer drapes. Everything was done with gold or yellow or rust colored.  
  
Sydney entered the room and threw her stuff down. Her brain barely focused on what the room looked like. Everything was becoming fuzzy. She dropped her bags near the desk. Her hands subconsciously tucked a stray piece behind her ear, "Bug killers?" She walked to the bed and collapsed down onto it.  
  
"I'm way ahead of you." He had already started to rummage through his suitcase and pulled out random objects; a tube of lipstick, a paper clip, a hanger, a shampoo bottle. One was placed in each corner of the room, including the bathroom and closet.  
  
"Looks like we made it." She said softly. "I'm home free for now."  
  
He returned, leaning against the wall and let out a long sigh. His forehead was creased with worry and his eyes were clouded over. Everything was still a little fuzzy to him. He hadn't even heard her speak. His mind was clouded over as well. "I don't know about you but those pills were..they were-"  
  
"Yeah, I know. They stay in your system for like forever. I hate taking them but I knew I needed to sleep." She replied, not bothering to turn around to face him. Her eyes were focused out onto the balcony that overlooked the beautiful gardens and tiled pool. It was dusk and the sun was just barely out of the sky. Her eyes scanned the horizon and her thoughts becoming clouded over by the medication. No thoughts were being processed clearly. "I can't go to sleep."  
  
Vaughn walked towards her and sat down behind her. "Why?"  
  
The dreams..death, destruction, blood. "I just can't."  
  
He pressed on, "Sydney, why can't you go to sleep?"  
  
Things were to fuzzy. Maybe if she closed her eyes, and the medication was still in her system, that dream wouldn't come. "How do you want to do the sleeping arrangements?" She finally asked, rising to her feet and looking back to him, sitting there just as exhausted as she was.  
  
  
  
"Well," He began taking his time with each breath, "we could just sleep in the same bed."  
  
Fuzzy, dizzy..there was no way that she could have a conversation or an argument or something right now. "I think I need to lie down." The adrenaline from being someone else had completely run out..it was out of her system and she finally crashed. No more pretending to be someone else, no looking over her shoulder. This was raw and real. She was alone in a hotel room with Vaughn after the most evil man she knew tried to kill her and her family. It was time to let the tears come. "But I want to talk but later." She walked towards her suitcase and began to pilfer through it, looking for pajamas or a t-shirt or something to change into. Her hands took a lot longer with everything. "Dad says that the medication works for twelve hours but stays in your system for eighteen hours. He wanted both of us to get to sleep...sleep..as soon as possible. Said that the medication would work quickly." It took her a few minutes to find a pair of blue silk pajamas but when she did, it took her no more than a few steps to jump into the bathroom and changed, removing her wig but leaving her make-up. It wasn't worth taking off only to reapply it. Honestly, she didn't have enough energy to remove it all. She should have figured out when she could wake up, non-drowsy from the pill but even that was impossible. The door was pulled open painfully slow and started to walk towards the bed. Vaughn had already collapsed near the bed and started to pull himself under the covers. He had thrown the blinds shut and changed into a t-shirt but whoever had packed his case forgot pajama pants or sweatpants. He had to sleep in his boxers. With what energy he had remaining, he silently prayed that she wouldn't notice and just get into bed, without conversation. He watched her with silent green eyes make her painfully slow way to the bed to which she collapsed down on top of it. It had become a combined effort for both of them to pull their haggard bodies beneath the covers. Her muscles were tense and fatigued. She managed to pull her body to her left side and she had barely taken a breath when she had fallen asleep. Vaughn felt a similar fate and pulled his body over to his right side and fell into a hopefully dreamless sleep. 


	6. Erase and Rewind

A/N Thanks for all the reviews and I know nothing much happened in the last chapter but this will make up for! This Jack's reaction and actions to Vaughn text message. There's some Irinia/Jack stuff thrown in a little bit! I'm so sorry this has taken SOOOO long but I haven't be able to access my fanfiction account. ENJOY and PLEASE REVIEW!!  
  
Jack rolled his eyes at the new rookie standing before him, scared out of his mind. The rookie was a new recruit and barely in the agency for six months. The veteran leaned into his chair and sighed. The aged chair squeaked under his weight being thrown to the bolts of the chair. The Joint Task Force was the most boring place to be early in the morning and he wasn't one to get bored easily. His chest filled with a deep inhale, positively showing his distain for new recruits. This one was babbling about sitting in on a meeting or some handler or another agent- in all honesty, he had stopped listening to moment he walked towards him. Finally, there was something to distract him. There was a text message on his phone and it was vibrating. He would answer it just yet.no, he would let it distract him for another moment or too.  
  
"But Mr. Bristow-" the rookie exclaimed. He was simply silenced by Jack's raised hand as he dug into his pocket for his cell phone. It had started to vibrate against his thigh and it was annoying him. "Mr. Bristow, please!"  
  
"Stop." Was the gruff answer as he saw the simple text message on his screen:  
  
Jack- Sloane found out about Syd. We're in the attic. Assassins are downstairs. -Vaughn  
  
Jack inhaled sharply, "Leave." He glanced up with his steely gray eyes with that revealed his rough nature. The agent didn't have to be told twice. He got up to his feet from the chair he was nervously sitting in and ran out of the little conference room. Jack waited a moment but then followed, with his normal exterior of being cold and unable to speak to. Director Kendall had started to do his traditional pace about the office. He looked irate, per normal. His black suit blended in perfectly with all the other black circulating about the building. Things could never go right his eyes and the world was coming to an end everyday but he would save it by screaming at someone at some point during the day. But. But, he and Jack had this wonderful type of respect and it was an understood contract.  
  
His eyes met Jack's and immediately rolled his eyes in response, "What Jack?"  
  
Jack held his phone out towards Kendal, who quickly scanned the message. It was uncharacteristic of Jack not to be able to express his emotions but it was a case concerning his daughter. This was a foreign feeling to the cold veteran but sometimes, actions speak louder than words.  
  
  
  
"Sydney's been discovered." He finally was able to speak.  
  
Kendal's speech went rapidly from there. Jack's eyes still focused on the phone and what might have happened. He shook his head softly and tuned into the conversation. Agents from all over were coming towards he and Kendal like moths to a flame. Emotions already started to run high as soon as Kendal mentioned Agent Bristow and it wasn't Jack. Sydney was loved around the Joint Task Force. There was a certain pity involved with any one who had contact with Irinia Derevko.  
  
"Is Vaughn with her?" Kendal barked towards to Jack.  
  
"That's who the message was from."  
  
"Okay, we're going to need two complete field make-overs. I want them to be able to travel out of the country together. You two," he turned towards two young agents, "I want you to go and gather commercial plane tickets, passports, credit cards, and whatever else they need." The agents nodded and ran off. "We need full psych standing by, you," another agent was pointed to, "go get Barnet and whoever else is here today." His voice was strong and continued on until there were only a handful of agents standing around.  
  
Finally, after Kendal was barking order for a full five minutes, Jack broke his thought train and announced, "I am going to go and speak to Derveko." A thousand pairs of eyes shot towards him but he managed to ignore the blank stares and walk away from the group. The area fell silent as Kendal opened his mouth to speak but promptly decided against it. Jack walked over to a nearby desk, brusquely demanded three items that were promptly concealed within the jacket of his navy blue suit.  
  
  
  
His foot pattern quickly brought him towards the familiar area, where he flashed his id badge and walked through the three gates. It was so cold over here and she deserved whatever she had coming to her. *She should be dead.* He tried desperately to convince himself that she was not worthy of breathing but then, he had never completely given up on Laura, er, Irinia. No matter what, she had to been seen as Irinia not Laura. Laura died over twenty years ago. His eyes fell onto his, well she could be called his wife. Her eyes were set on the glass, looking up into oblivion.  
  
"Jack." Her voice acknowledged his presence with a tone of remorse. "What brings you here?" She rose to her feet in all the elegance of a ballet dancer. Before she had joined the KGB, she had trained everyday to become part of the Russian Ballet, a dream her wonderful mother had instilled on her since birth. All dreams were dashed after her father was killed and she had received an offer to join a regiment of money, power and above all, respect. She had Sydney's eyes that could probably eat Jack alive but this time, she just starred at him with her typical cat-like watch.  
  
"Sydney's been discovered." His voice was low. The measure of anxiety was finally beginning to register in his voice. His little girl's life was in danger and there was almost nothing he could do about it. Grant it, he and Sydney weren't exactly close but they had gotten so much closer that she could stand to be in the same room with him. He never realized how wonderful and smart his own flesh and blood was. Sydney was the most important thing in his life.  
  
"Arvin?" She hadn't been expecting this. Sydney was too smart to be caught by the likes of Sloane.  
  
"I think so." This wasn't supposed to be happening to either of them. Sydney was as much a part of his life as she was in hers.  
  
She walked towards the glass and moistened her lips. "What is to become of her?"  
  
"She's going to Madrid with Mr. Vaughn and they're going to stay there until it's safe."  
  
"Oh," She sounded pleased and surprised, "Mr. Vaughn's with her?" Her rose lips almost curled up into a smile.  
  
"Yes." He suddenly avoided her eyes. "He was at risk too." His gray eyes met hers again and she quickly looked him over.  
  
"There's something else." She knew him well. After all, she had studied him from afar, dated him, married him and had his child.and somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with him. Yes, she was in love. And it was because of that love that she memorized every part of him, mental and physical. "What is it?"  
  
"Yes. I think it would be wise for you to tell Mr. Vaughn the truth about his father's death." He didn't exactly know what had happened but from what he knew, it was nothing like it seemed. Nothing was ever like it seemed.  
  
"Jack, would you get my a tape recorder and legal pad? I need to tell Sydney and write to Mr. Vaughn."  
  
"I already have it." He dug into his pocket and pushed a tape recorder, yellow pad of paper, and two ink pens into a mail like slot at the bottom of the wall in front of him. "They need to know the truth." He knew exactly what she would want. He was in love with her. It was her that deceived him, not the other way around and somewhere along the line, since she had been back in his life, he had remembered why he loved her. Not wanting to think about past love anymore, Jack turned, without looking at her, and started to walk away.  
  
"Jack!" She almost desperately called after him. The tears in her eyes were suddenly swelling and she just needed to hear something reassuring from him. It was an adolescent desire for her but sometimes, even the most eloquent and strong of women need reassuring.  
  
His breath stopped for a moment and he turned around, painfully slow. The look he gave he asked the question that raced in his mind; what?  
  
Words were coming more slowly for her all of a sudden. It was almost like everything had escaped her mind and replaced by tears, threatening any moment to escape the brims of her eyes and damage her skin. "She'll be fine. She has my strong will and stubbornness. She'll be fine?" The last question was barely a comment or a question but Jack nodded, almost smiling a sad little smile remember his daughter's fierce determination, a trait from both parents.  
  
"She has to be." His eyes met hers as he nodded and turned, "I'll leave you with your thoughts. I'll be back in a half of an hour." And as softly as he had come, he left.  
  
Irinia watched the glass until the last trace of him disappeared. Her hand quickly groped for the pad, pen and tape record, refusing to let her eyes wander down. She turned back to her cell and sat, her back facing the glass and brought the tape record up near her mouth. Her eyes were still perched looking up a bit. And she started to speak aloud, "Sydney..I need you to be alone when you're listening to this and you need to leave Vaughn alone when he is reading my letter. This is going to be hard for me to say. I've never admitted half of these things aloud and there going to very difficult for you to here. Please keep that in mind. There are so many things that I need to tell you and I don't know where to start." No, she knew where to start. She hit stop, erase, and then rewind, "I need to start at the beginning. You were the most beautiful child a mother could ever hope to have. You were the perfect baby.never cried or fussed. But you had my strong-will and your father's stuborness and we both know how stubborn your father can be."  
  
Again, wrong wording! Erase and rewind.  
  
"But you had my strong-will and father's stubbornness. And we both know what a combination that is. But I need to tell you something that you need to do." That she should do. Erase and Rewind. "That you should do. I know how you feel about Mr. Vaughn and before I go any further I think you should go ahead and make your move."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"Go any further, you need to confess what is bottled up so tightly.something that I find so interesting."  
  
Erase and rewind. "He feels the same way. And I know that you are strong enough to move first. Checkmate."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"If you have a fear of him not feeling the same way, Sydney, he feels the same way. He has confessed this, indirectly, and you are meant to be with each other. There are certain things that are destined and you are one of them."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"And this is one of them. I must keep this short. I want to tell you to circumstances that led to your Mr. Vaughn's father's death. As you may or may not know, his name was William Christopher Vaughn, the same middle name of your handler. We were on separate mission in Pakistan and somehow or another, we ended up in the same general vicinity. At this point, you were barely two and I had received word to go and collect a document from a building in Pakistan. Apparently, I was the only one they trusted with this. I left on my vacation, leaving you in your father's care as I went off. The mission went off without any mistakes. I entered the library of the building I was in and encountered William. He was looking for a different document and had no knowledge I was going to be there. We barely had time to do anything but look at each other because guards came into both doors, one on each end of the narrow hallway and before I could turn, I was shot with a tranq dart in my hip. They had seen me enter. William suffered a similar fate. We were bound, gagged and transported to that prison. We were put in the same cell and assumed that we were partners. From that moment on for about three weeks, we spent every moment with each other. We ate whatever food they gave us together, slept across from one another and were tortured together. We became so close. I talked about you constantly and he spoke of his little boy, who was around eight. He spoke of love almost daily, love for his wife Nanette, his son who always remained nameless and his country. He had the most love for the CIA. Almost more than you or your handler or your father. But William was gorgeous in ways only you would understand. He and his father are identical. And somewhere along the line, I fell for him."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"I fell in love with him."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"I developed feelings for him. I'll never know if he felt the same way but the guards picked up on my attraction to him. We tried to escape so many times, through the sewers, the mine field, everything you could possibly think of but we were always captured and horrifically tortured. One day, February 23, we were taken out of our cell and back into the torture room. They tortured us for hours until I was slipping in and out of consciousness from lose of blood. I was much worse off than he was. They didn't mind him as much as they hated a female spy. See Sydney, it has always been tough for women today."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"It has always been tough to be a female spy. After the torture was finished, William was brought closer to me, I was strapped to a bed. His green eyes were so friendly and understanding. He was beautiful. We were given a choice. They would kill us both, using the slow methods they were using or if one of us was the kill the other, they would let the other go and receive full medical attention." The tears started to rush to her eyes as she spoke but she forced them back down, "I barely opened my mouth when William told the guards that he would be the one who died. I cried and screamed refuting him but he was solid and said that I had a baby girl to worry about. I remember screaming about his little boy and he said, I'll never forget it, he said that his son was destined to take on his work. He was going to be a CIA because of his death. I cried so. I was about to kill my love."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"I was about to kill my best friend."  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"My confidant would die by my hand. I was un strapped, still bleeding horribly. I was handed a gun and William stood across from me. There were three guards on me, one with a gun to my head, one to my back, one to my abdomen and on William, there was a guard holding a gun to his back. There, they told me to pull the trigger. William told me something I was supposed to tell his son and my daughter. I practically tattooed it to my body, 'Never say you killed me. Never regret this decision. I die for my country and I die for my son and your daughter.' I honestly don't know whether this makes the situation that much better or worse. But, I-I pulled the trigger and everything went black. I woke in a hospital, in the states. I never knew if he had died or if I, by some miracle missed. It wasn't until years later that I found out I had and that they had mutilated his body. It was the worst moment of my life. Almost as bad as faking my death or leaving you. Sydney, I cared for him.  
  
Erase and rewind.  
  
"Sydney, I was in love with him. Please, forgive. Please. I love you. I love you." Tears overcame her and she started to sob as she hit STOP. There was no way to erase and rewind her life. If she could take one thing back, she would have maybe pushed harder to have William kill her or figured out an escape plan that wouldn't result in her re-capture. The tears fell as she picked up the legal pad and started to write the letter to Vaughn, sobbing inconsolably as she wrote his last name.  
  
A/N Next chapter coming soon!!!!! Please R&R! 


	7. What Dreams May Come

Something was unquestionably wrong. She didn't even have to open her eyes to realize that. Almost unsure what she would find, Sydney's eyes opened again and gone was the beautiful and elegant hotel and here was a dark room and she was no longer in the feather bed. Things were cold and harsh. She was strapped to a wall by heavy leather and metal chains. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips. What was going on? She tried to pull against it wall but her body was suddenly sore and couldn't move. The darkness clouded her senses and she could barely make out a figure strapped to the wall to her left. It was obviously a male figure from his silhouette. Her eyes fluttered quickly as she tried to focus on the figure. She had to take a gamble and guess who it was, "Vaughn.?" Her voice was groggy and raspy. All she could do was gasp for air and pray that he would answer.  
  
The figure's head lifted up and he squinted his eyes to see who it was, "Oh Syd." He groaned. "You're awake. I was so worried." His voice sounded sincere but wavering. He began to cough violently, causing the chains to jingle in an ominous tone. The horrible noise sent a chill up her spine, that caused her restraints to shake.  
  
"What happened?" She was afraid to ask. Her body shifted slightly and she could rest easier against the wall. Her body ached with severe pain that grew more and more intense with each slight inhale.  
  
Vaughn gasped for air a little before he spoke again, "Sloane found us and while you were sleeping, captured us and we've been tortured for..I think..it might be a week?"  
  
"A week?"  
  
"Yeah." Gasp. "You've been out cold since we got here. Sloane wanted to make sure I was tortured by seeing you in the state you in pain. Are you okay, now? Please, tell me." A rattle of chains was heard before she could open her mouth to answer. A bright light flicked on, blinding both of them. Their eyes shut immediately and her body tried to brace herself. The muscles tightened all along her arms and her legs. Her fight or flight reflex kicked into high gear. Vaughn was too weak to do anything..instead; he let out a shudder followed by a moan of dread. "Oh G- d."  
  
"Is that too bright?" A cold voice forced Sydney to open her eyes and stare at him.  
  
"Sloane?" She wanted to bark but it came out more like a whimper. She wanted to kill him more than anything else in the world.  
  
"My dear Sydney, I am so pleased you're awake." His voice was revolting. "And Mr. Vaughn, are you feeling well today?" He came towards them, brandishing a new torture weapon in his fists. His beady eyes settled on Sydney and he clicked his tongue softly, "Pity. You were my best agent but you know too much." The weapon was brought up to eye level. It looked like a long metal pole with little sharp grooves in it. "Which one of you would like to be first?" Silence filled as Sloane took a breath, "No volunteers? Well Sydney, I fear that is it your turn to watch." He said, in a partially remorseful tone. He quickly turned in his black suit, the material making a soothing whoosh sound. "Lay him out." Was the instruction to the two men in suits at the cell block door.  
  
One guard came towards Vaughn and unlocked his wrist and legs from their tight restraints. He immediately collapsed to the ground, showing how weak he truly was. He tried not to groan as the men grabbed him by the wrists, with visible sores and gashes on them. They pulled him up and literally threw him on the table. He started to shake and his eyes and his head looked at Sydney. His body was turning against him in such a way that he could barely fight the two men rebounding his limbs to a long table in the center of the torture room. His green eyes were fogged over and his face was drawn and pale. He looked at her and tears began to fall, soaking the metal table beneath his exposed chest. They both had been stripped down, only wearing bare minimum clothing. He only wore a pair of sweatpants and she wore a badly torn tank-top and ripped pajama pants. The tears formed a sad little pool by his shoulder and slowly, his chest was stopping..stopping moving up and down. "Syd." His breathed, letting more tears shed, "It's over."  
  
"It's not over." She spoke softly to him. "Don't hurt him!" Sydney found herself saying, throwing her body weight against the chains. "Please, I'll do anything!"  
  
"It's too late for that, Sydney." Sloane showed his teeth towards her. His feet glided him towards Vaughn with what looked like a box cutter in his hands, it was a different weapon than two minutes ago. Black met brown as his lips curled into a smile and then starred down at Vaughn. "It's too bad," he started, "you two looked so destined together lying in that hotel bed. I should have recruited him. He would have done us proud."  
  
Sydney began to sob, "He would have never joined SD-6. He wanted to bring you down more than I did." She let her eyes meet Sloane's. She hated him so much and she wished that he was on the table, instead of Vaughn. She never broke down when she tortured. Her emotions were always kept in check but this was different. This couldn't be reality.  
  
"Because he was in love with you. Because he was CIA. Because he made you betray me. Because he was in love with." He snapped hastily.  
  
"He is in love with me."  
  
"Not when I'm done with him he won't be." Sloane knelt over the body, examining his calves and then turned towards a guard. "Make it messy. I want her to see what she's done." The tool was transferred from gruesome hand to gruesome hand and Sloane left the room.  
  
Vaughn's eyes had clouded over even more. He was giving up. His body was covered with gashes, bruises, and far worst than third degree burns. His body was being destroyed and the last thing was his mind. If he just let go.  
  
"Don't let go, Vaughn. Please, for me. For your mother, your father." Sydney started to plead to him but as the guard leaned closer, tears soaked through her words. "Don't let go. Please, Vaughn. Vaughn."  
  
  
  
Vaughn's eyes opened quickly. Something was wrong. His name was being screamed into the darkness. His body immediately jumped up, his head whipped around looking for the cause of the commotion but there was nothing there. All he felt and saw was a body tossing and turning next to his. Sydney was lying next to him, screaming his name out, tears freely flowing down her face. The comforter was wrapped around her body as she arched her back like she was trying to break away from a hold. He sat up a little bit and attempted to wake her or comfort her or something. It greatly upset him to see her like that. He had only seen her frantic a select number of times and this was by far the worst. This wasn't an outside force. It was something in her mind that caused this.  
  
"Don't let go. Please, Vaughn. Vaughn." She pleaded through gasps. Her eyes were welded shut with tears escaping down the beige lids.  
  
He ran his hand over her forehead and attempted to comfort her. Her skin felt so smooth beneath his palm. "Syd. Syd." He repeated over and over again, coaxing her to open her eyes but it was not going to happen easily.  
  
  
  
"Don't kill him! Please! Vaughn! Vaughn!" Sydney screamed as she fought against the chains binding her. They grew tighter and tighter as she fought. The second guard stood off to the side of her and touched her forehead, mockingly. He smiled a revolting smile.  
  
The first guard approached Vaughn's calves, slitting his Achilles tendons in both legs. Vaughn began to scream in terrified pain, attempting to wriggle free but his screams only made the guard more eager to finish the enjoyable job. Vaughn's wrists and forearms were next. Blood began to ooze from every fiber of his being. His body began to tremble and the screaming grew weaker. She didn't even attempt to fight against the chains anymore but watched in horror as the guard was right there expelling large amounts of blood from Vaughn's perfect skin. "He's already lost so much blood, Sydney." The guard hissed in between Vaughn's ear piercing screams.  
  
Sydney's screams became louder and louder, overriding Vaughn's until hers stopped. She had never seen such a red color before. That color red wasn't found anywhere else. Shock overwhelmed her for a few moments and she fought to think clearly. "Please, take me instead!" She finally said calmly. This was death sentence and she knew it but she needed to save Vaughn..even if it meant throwing herself away. The guard looked up and this time, it wasn't the guard, it was Sark's face.  
  
"You heard the lady. We'll take her instead." He crossed his arms and his eyes settled on her chest. He licked his lips. "You'll go first." He stepped back a little.  
  
She felt dirty and vile as the other guard let her loose. "Let me stay here for a moment. Then, you can take me." She stood on her own feet, fighting the searing pain in her body.  
  
"Done." Sark replied, stepping back even further.  
  
Even the mighty can fall unexpectedly. As soon as Sark spoke, she fell to the floor and tried to compose herself before she said her good- bye. Subconsciously, she started to nurse her sore wrists. The guard then pulled her to her feel and held tightly, pressing on the pressure point in her already weak back. Sydney limped the three feet to the table, where she collapsed onto his body. She ran her hand over his face, pale and shaking from pain. His breath was almost non-existent but she still felt some onto her cheek. "Hey. Don't give up on me, baby. Come on. Open your eyes honey. Come on. Please. Please, open your eyes." She let a sob escape her mouth, causing her whole body to shake, "Please, please Vaughn." They can't take you from me! Please, Vaughn, open your eyes." His green eyes had rolled back into his head and his chest was no longer moving up and down. "Please! Vaughn! Vaughn!" She sobbed and felt his blood onto her body. It was the last thing that she would have of his. Her body was shaking and sweat was dripping down her back as her eyes looked up for a moment. She felt something damp and soft against her forehead. It mingled with the sweat and tears on her brow. Sark had the gun pressed to her head, finger on the trigger. Her eyes filled with horror and breath stopped entirely.  
  
"Now, it's your turn, Sydney. Sydney. Sydney. Syd! Syd!"  
  
BANG!  
  
  
  
He tried to comfort her and wake her up even more. She was growing more hysterical with every second that ticked by on the clock. She was screaming his name but at one point, the tears had grown more intense.  
  
"Hey." She had sobbed, "Don't give up on me, baby. Come on. Open your eyes, honey. Come on. Please. Please, open your eyes. Please, please Vaughn. They can't take you from me! Please Vaughn, open your eyes!"  
  
He kissed the top of her head and started to talk again, "Sydney. Sydney. Syd..Syd. Syd!! He started to shake her gently, opening her eyes from the hell she was obviously living in.  
  
She finally jumped up and her eyes shot open. The tears and the gasp came more rapidly. Her face thrashed around, taking in the surroundings again. Was she really back in the hotel room? She tried to get a bearing on her surroundings and finally, her frantic eyes settled to her left. There was Vaughn, sitting straight up with a terrified look on his face. "Vaughn?" She sobbed as she leaned towards him. She collapsed into his body and let her body shake. "Oh my G-d. Oh my G-d." She repeated over and over again. She rested her hands on his collar bone and shook violently.  
  
"What happened? You were tossing and turning and screaming." He ran his hand on her back, trying to calm her down. She had curled up and had her head buried deeply in his chest. Her sobs rocked her body and he tried to comfort her. His kissed the top of her head and rocked with her back and forth, painfully aware that he was only wearing boxers and t-shirt. His attire was quickly soaked through but it didn't matter. "Can you tell me?" He pressed her when she didn't answer.  
  
She promptly responded by sitting up straight and wiping her eyes. "I don't know where to start." She stifled a sob. She looked at him helplessly. "Oh my G-d."  
  
"Then, why don't you lie down and just relax. You don't have to tell me." He laid back and motioned for her to follow suit. Her eyes engulfed themselves in fear as he continued to coax her. "C'mon. It's fine, really." She nodded reluctantly and lay in his arms. He made soothing noises and kept his arms wrapped tightly around her. His body stayed propped up. He towered over her and she curled up towards him. She felt safe..almost safe.  
  
"I dreamed," she started slowly, her eyes starring up at him. "That Sloane captured us..he found us here and...and he tortured us. We were there a week and then, he strapped you to this table and cut your tendons and you were screaming and I was screaming and then Sark came and I exchanged my life for yours but you-you-you died and then Sark put the gun to my head and then he started saying my name and I woke up." Her speech was rapid and full of gasps. The last tear rolled down her cheek. "I saw you dead. I've never been more scared in my life." Her lips pressed against each and formed a straight line. Another sob was swallowed as Vaughn's eyes clouded with tears. She reached up and traced the tear line with her finger. "Please don't."  
  
He held her hand tightly in hers, pulling it away from his face. "I hate seeing you this way." His hands were warm against her cold skin. She opened her mouth to say another thing but he cut her off, "Relax. You need to sleep. This has been a tough twenty four hours. You have a lot on your mind."  
  
She shook her head adamantly, "I can't close my eyes." She was a five year old again afraid of the monster in her closet or the eight year old afraid of bridges and water. She started to gasp and shake again.  
  
He held her body closer to his, "I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
Her eyes got wider and the tears threatened to flow again, "You don't know what I saw. The blood. Your blood was on my hands. You were killed because of me. You're here because of me. G-d Vaughn, you need to get out of here." Sobs took control again. It was a pure mixture of exhaustion and genuine fear. "You stopped breathing and got cold. Really cold, really fast."  
  
The blood in his body stopped for a moment. It began to run cold but his hands started to sweat from nerves, "But I'm not cold, see?" He pressed one hand against her arm, "I'm 98.6. I'm not dead Sydney."  
  
"Yet."  
  
"Sydney, you have to snap out of this." He sat up more and released his grasp from her.  
  
"It felt so real. I could feel everything. The guard touching my face, the gun against my head, the blood on my body, the sores, everything. It was too authentic." She hushed her voice and started to sit up, drawing her knees close to her chest. It was a feeling of comfort for her. She kept her ankles crossed and brought her head down to rest her chin on her knees with her hands clasped in front of them. She felt the pain in her heart against her legs. It was an indescribable pain that was more mental than physical. Her heart pounded hard and it was causing her agony. "It was too real."  
  
Vaughn could understand her pain. He wrinkled his forehead and sighed, cleared his throat and opened her mouth to speak. There was a lecture coming and she couldn't have expected what was about to come. "When I was little," he started fighting to keep his voice steady, "before my dad died," He swallowed hard, repressing memories, "I used to be afraid of monsters in the closet. I used to have these horrible dreams of the them coming and taking me away, out of my bed and into their monster world in the closet and eating me. One day," This was obviously hard for him to admit, "I didn't have the dream of the monster eating me but of my mom. I was so shook up by it I refused to sleep for two days straight."  
  
Sydney's face was still red and blotchy as he spoke but her eyes watched him with interest  
  
  
  
"On the second day, my mom came into my bedroom and lay me down and wrapped her arms around me. Mon chéri, nos rêves sont simplement des possibilités de nos réalités. Et si ces rêves sont horribles, puis nous choisissons de ne pas leur faire notre réalité. Nous choisissons notre destin à un certain degré mais nous ne pouvons pas contrôler ce qui est enterré dans nos esprits. Maintenant mon cher, étroit vos yeux et rêve des possibilités sans fin que votre réalité peut se tenir." He watched this set into her mind for a moment before he started to translate but she cut him off.  
  
"My darling, our dreams are merely possibilities of our realities. And if those dreams are horrible, then we choose not to make them our reality. We choose our destiny to some degree but we cannot control what is buried in our minds. Now my dear, close your eyes and dream of the endless possibilities your reality can hold." She quickly translated in one breath. "She had a gift for words.  
  
"Yeah, I always thought so too." Vaughn replied. He broke the eye contact between them and stared down at the blanket wrapped between them and concentrated on one wrinkle. He refused to let their eyes meet for a moment. It was easier to tell this this way. "After Dad died, she started writing. She had gotten a call from the CIA, actually, extending their condolences and she asked about the circumstances of his death. They couldn't tell her anything, so she started writing. I guess what she had wished had happened. She let me read it a couple of months ago..after his anniversary and it was beautiful. This woman, during some war..she was specific was captured and thrown into a prison. In her cell, there was a man, an American, and they became friends. They were tortured daily but their friendship remained strong. One day, after she had been brutally beaten and was on the verge of dying from blood loss, the guards gave them a decision. If one of them killed the other, then the other could get medical attention. The man decided that the woman should get medical attention, so he had her kill him."  
  
"Story sounds almost familiar." Sydney remarked quietly, playing with her fake nails over his skin.  
  
"Let's not talk about it." He swallowed hard and let his brow wrinkle with concern. Memories were coming back in tidal waves and he couldn't bare it anymore. He swallowed hard again, holding his tongue back not to let any tears escape. "Why don't you get some sleep?"  
  
"Not yet." She replied, resting the side of her head against the headboard. "I need to tell you why I was so afraid to go to sleep before."  
  
His brain quickly wracked for answers. Right before they had fallen asleep, she had mentioned she couldn't fall asleep. "Go ahead."  
  
She sighed deeply and decided it was time to tell him about the other dreams. Her eyes remained shut or focused straight ahead. She went into every detail from his murder, to hers, to the destruction but went into the most detail about the dream she had had the other day. It was the dream about the Paris restaurant and the CIA and everything (AN-if you don't remember her dreaming this, it's in Chapter 2) After she had finished, she cleared her throat and looked at him.  
  
No eye contact was made back. Somewhere in the middle of her tale, he had shifted so his back leaned against the headboard. He couldn't face her anymore. The wrinkles on his brow were more intense as he listened, pushing his own emotions down. His face faced forward and he concentrated on a little nick in the wall. It took a moment for this to sink. She had been dreaming of him for months. Almost three months. Did she realize how he felt? Did she feel the same way? The dinner was too much. Why the hell did he listen to Weiss? He hadn't listened to him since training, now six years later he started to do it again? Figures. The one recent time he listened, he had gotten himself screwed. "Tell her how you feel." Weiss said, "You should have taken that hotel room, man." "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Weiss was such an idiot sometimes!  
  
Vaughn sighed and forced himself into the present. It took a moment for him to speak. He kept running his hands over face, obviously thinking of a careful reply. She couldn't tell if he was panicking or honestly flustered or annoyed. He became so unreadable at that moment. It took ages for him to turn his head down, back to the blanket, over her body and then up to her face. His eyes finally rested on her face as he turned his head towards her. His green eyes were no longer cloudy or fuzzy. They were crisp and cool. He licked his lips and to her, it was one of the most seductive things he could have done at that moment. "Let's go get something to eat. We need to take a walk and talk. But we need to get out of the hotel room. I'm hungry. You hungry? I think we just need to sit down with a good cup of coffee and some pastries and we'll talk." He out of the bed and looked at the digital clock on the nightstand as her jaw dropped. It was 10:45 in the morning. His hands went over his face as he tried to cope with what she just said and then his reply. Did he say the right thing? He finally stopped his thoughts for a moment and faced her. "Yeah?" He answered his own question.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be nice." She watched him for a moment and was surprised at how soft and fragile her voice sounded. Sydney swung her legs to one side of the bed and slowly got to her feet. Her body was weak, maybe from exhaustion or maybe because she was weak in the knees from Vaughn. She tried too smile a little bit at him, blinking away any tears.  
  
"I'll take a bug killer with me and then we can talk." He leaned down and started to rummage through one of the suitcases in search for a set of clothing. It took him a moment longer than expected, wanting to hurry and get changed. He found a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. He held one article of clothing in each hand and looked at Sydney once more, "Lemme get changed and then we'll go down to the café, relax and talk about this." As he finished, he ducked into the bathroom to change.  
  
"Okay." She sat at the very edge of the bed, mascara dripping down her face, intertwined with tears. Her mouth had fallen open slightly and her eyebrows lifted in question. Her hands wiped her face once more and she got out of bed. Things were a lot clearer now than they were just ten hours ago. Well, at least she could see straight. Her throat was cleared as she walked over to the suitcase and found a simple, white thin strapped sundress. With full knowledge that Vaughn was in the bathroom, she quickly undressed and slipped into the light cotton material. It flowed over the curves of her body and she reached over to find a pair of white flip-flops to accompany the casual feel of the dress. Digging deeper into the case, she found a brush, to which she promptly ran through her hair and scoffed at her stringy brown locks. She had to put that horrible wig on. She would slowly ease out of wearing it or dye her hair, one of the two. Glancing carelessly at the mirror, she realized what a sight she looked like. "I look like crap." She said to her reflection. If reflections could talk, she was sure it would reply, "That's for damn sure." She ran her hand under her eye and looked at the black line formed on her hand and she scoffed. Vaughn couldn't possible see her as attractive in the state she was in. But then again, he was at his sexiest when he was all over the place. The curve of her mouth managed to tug up a little as she thought of him, put together yet falling apart at the seams. He was gorgeous no matter what.  
  
"That is for damn sure." Sydney spoke louder than before to the un- answering reflection.  
  
"Ja saw something?" Vaughn called from the bathroom over the water running in the sink.  
  
"Nothing." She called back and turned towards the door. He had truly panicked when she told him about the nightmare. Her arms crossed over her body and she starred down at her feet. Her body wasn't as tire as she thought it would be but she still leaned against the oak dresser. All she could do was attempt to keep her mind clear and ready to talk about anything and everything with him.  
  
Vaughn dressed quickly and stood in front of the big black marble sink and oval mirror. He examined his features closely and quickly discovered that he hadn't shave in two days. Sydney couldn't possibly find him remotely attractive in the state that he was in. He was exhausted and after a few hours of sleeping off the drugs, he had laid awake thinking about her and what had happened and what could happen. His eyes focused back in on themselves. Why did it have to be this way? He had fallen in love with her, hard, and now, he had laid in the same bed with her and could do absolutely nothing about it. He reflected for a moment the dream he had been awoken from. It was simple and sweet. He and Sydney were in the warehouse and after a long conversation of nothing, she leaned towards him to give him a paper or a number or something but instead, he moved so he stood right in front of her. And before he knew it, his lips were pressed to hers and her hands were wrapped up in his hair and his jacket. They didn't go any further for he heard and felt screams of panic and was brought back into the cruel reality that he was now living. *That was definitely the wrong answer. I should have sat down with her, in that bed, and just talked her dreams out. Why did I suggest we should go to breakfast? I feel like I'm back in freaking in High School. How much does that suck? I hated high school. I was the skinny French kid that didn't score until I was eighteen!* Reluctantly and with a new feeling of dread and self-pity, he opened the door. His eyes moved slowly until they reached Sydney, examining the folds on the bed carefully with as much concentration as she attacked everyday with. She didn't notice him for a moment and he was allowed to look her body over.  
  
She felt his eyes on her and turned her head. "Lemme chip this off of my face and we can go down. I need food. I haven't eaten since two days ago. Right? Yeah cause yesterday I got up and then it happened and then we were on the plane, took the sleeping pills and somehow ended up here." She spoke rapidly as she made her way past him, leaving the door open as she washed her face, glancing up now and then to see Vaughn still standing in the doorway. She turned to put on make-up but discovered the case was still in her luggage.  
  
"Looking for this?" Vaughn had disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a small black bag overrun with make-up. She smiled a grateful smile and took it front his outstretched hand. She turned back and started to wash the black off of her face and with it, all the dreams. When she had finished washing it off, reapplied it, and applied her wig (still sitting in the bathroom), Vaughn had walked further into the door. "Perfect." He mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, I guess this will have to do for Portia." She smiled and glanced backwards into the mirror once more. "Right."  
  
"You're perfect, Sydney." Vaughn walked closer and brought her close to his body. "Come here for a minute." They rocked back and forth until her breathing matched his breathing pattern. He inhaled deeply her scent of salty tears and Italian perfume. He wanted to stay like that for a while, his hands on the small of her back and her hands around her neck. She filled the empty space like a puzzle piece lost from its box and then joyfully found one rainy day. Her tears being the rain, her the puzzle and him the finder.  
  
She smiled at the stubble on his cheek. The tears threatened to come to her eyes again. She had fallen for the one man she couldn't have, and she had gotten to the point where she didn't know if she could wake up every morning and know that she could never have him. She pressed herself closer, wanting to get the last bit of smell impressed into her clothing but as the electricity grew into a fire in her heart, she started to pull back, letting him know it was time to go back to reality. "Let's go." She whispered into his neck, sniffling slightly.  
  
He straightened up. Maybe he could never have her but they were still "married" and had to act like it in public. Maybe he could never have her for real but what dreams may come. He straightened up and watched her regain all the elegance of a ballet dancer. They moved towards the door in sync with the music that filled their hearts at each other's touch and walked towards the door, his arm around her waist and hers around his back. "Let's go."  
  
AN: Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you liked this chapter, it's my fave so far!!! I promise the big twist is coming that will shock you all! Thanks again and Read and REVIEW!!!! 


	8. Pamplemoose and Packages

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it. Now, the twist starting a little bit but the bulk of it is in the next chapter! And just remember, nothing is like it seems in the world of aLiAs!  
  
They reached the door but Sydney quickly broke away from Vaughn's grasp. "My bag, my gun, and our colored contacts." She tore away from him, ripping away from. She really didn't want to but she needed to. Their characters weren't quite complete. He stood in the doorway, watching her with intent green eyes. She was thinking something and he couldn't exactly figure what she was thinking or doing. He tried very hard not to laugh at the new side of Sydney. He was used to the Sydney that memorized his cell number in maybe thirty seconds, if that, the Sydney that could take down 200 pound men in three inch heels and a mini-skirt but this was a frazzled Sydney, hopelessly trying to find what she was looking for. "Bag, gun, contacts." She repeated again and bent over the suitcase. It was now partially collapsed black fabric and piles upon piles of high class fashions folded over and through each other. It was a mess. She rummaged through it, piling new things on the bed until she came to a fresh pair of green contacts, in their once-a-day case. She tossed Vaughn his box and took hers in her hands. She reached forward and place the box on the long dresser. She stood up and quickly set off to mask her eyes. Portia was her alter-ego. She was passionate, fun loving, and knew how to get what she wanted. Well, Portia was Sydney or vice versa. She knew what she wanted and all she needed to do was go after it. Her hands opened the packaging, tossing the cardboard into the garbage and leaned forward towards the mirror. She quickly applied her green eyes, taking a moment to breath in her new character. It was a magical moment for her when she became someone else and took her last breath as her. Sydney held her breath as Portia let hers out. Her face was still blotchy with tears and dark circles were beginning to show underneath her eyes. Her lack of sleep and food was catching up with her body. She would have to use a little concealer to fix that. No problem. She and Vaughn would go downstairs, as husband and wife and have lunch or breakfast or whatever time it was and talk. No big deal. She turned away from the mirror, someone new but with the same smile. Her newly applied green eyes rested on Vaughn as he made his way into the room to grab his gun and his cell phone, which laid in a smaller black bag right outside the bathroom door. He had bent over slightly to grab the gun and cell and place them in their appropriate pocket. His athletic body stood up and glanced around the hotel room, double checking in his mind that he now had everything.  
  
She sniffled slightly and let her green eyes dance around him. Finally, they rested on his and it was a familiar warming feeling that filled her body. She got the chills and went into a sweat whenever Vaughn looked at her. She had to repress a horribly goofy smile that she got whenever he would wrinkle his brow or say her name. It rolled off his tongue so seductively and he never said it often enough. She smiled sweetly as she thought of him saying her name, Sydney or Syd or Moutineer or whatever she was called these days. She always wanted to scream, 'just say my name and take me now!' or 'I'm yours! Do what you wish!'  
  
He cleared his throat, feeling the presence of her eyes on his body. "What made you think of that?" He asked genuinely. "I would love to know what you're thinking sometimes." He normally could read her thoughts or at least guess pretty close to where she was going with something. He ran his hands over the box as he watched her for a split second.  
  
"You think you know, but you have no idea." She tilted her head to the side a little, showing a hint of weakness almost and crossed her arms. Now, that could be taken a number of ways. She had almost wished that it was taken literal but knowing too many men in her lifetime, it would get twisted around in his mind. But maybe, Vaughn wasn't like those other men who only thought of which girl he could score with by weekend or how many drinks he could consume in two hours. No, Vaughn was too down to earth and dedicated for that. When they had gone out, he had only had two glasses..right? Maybe there were more. She had a few too and after a while, a couple of details got a little fuzzy.  
  
"You watch MTV?" Vaughn laughed as he ducked into the bathroom and started to apply his contacts. "You have time?"  
  
She laughed and made her way towards the bathroom to see Vaughn bent over backwards, not allowing his eyes to accept the brown disks. He started to swear every time the disk slipped from his fingertips. "I never have time but hey, I used to." Vaughn grunted a reply and continued to make his attempt. "Do you?"  
  
"Yeah, until I met you." He let it slip as he tried furiously to get his eyes back into place.  
  
That was a weird thing to say. He gave up a normal life just to protect her. She "What does that mean?" She stood up straight and got defensive.  
  
She had completely taken that completely wrong. He liked working those extra hours. It had allowed him to meet the most amazing girl in the world. He wouldn't trade all that work for all the money in the world or all the time in the world. He tried to brush her comment off, "I just work more since I became your handler."  
  
Pure dread. She took away a normal life for him. "Yeah, cause I call you at unG-dly hours! I really am sor-"  
  
"You only did that once and I'm sure as hell not complaining." I'm in love with and want you, right here, right now. "I'm not an MTV fan."  
  
"Oh." She was entirely satisfied with this answer but didn't care. She was having to good of a time watching him suffer of these contacts. "Are you having a problem with those or something?"  
  
"Why does Peter have to have brown eyes?" He groaned aloud.  
  
"Because Portia has green and if you have green eyes then we'll look like brother and sister not husband and wife. And quite frankly, I don't think we would do well as brother and sister." She looked at him, blinking her eyes, attempting to be seductive.  
  
Well, it worked and Vaughn cleared his throat, trying to rid the images of him and her together from his mind. He straightened up and sighed. "They could have given you blue."  
  
"Since when do you complain? I'll admit it, a few hours sleep and everything just sets you off." Sydney leaned deeper into the door jam and smiled. She was joking but it was true. He was always honest with her and never said anything going wrong in his life.  
  
Vaughn groaned again and turned towards the mirror like a three year old dreading the dentist. He grumbled and moaned as his fingers fumbled with his contacts. Finally, after much ado about nothing, he had brown eyes. "It's about freaking time!" He declared into the mirror. This sent Sydney into a burst of hysterics. It was a long time since she laughed and it was a good feeling over her bones. "Now, are you ready to go?"  
  
She caught her breath and stumbled from the room to grab her black bag, the same from yesterday. It was placed next to her suitcase. "Do you have your ring on?" She cried a little louder.  
  
"Never took it off. You have yours right?"  
  
"Never took it off." Sydney threw her bag over her shoulder and walked towards the door. "I fell asleep with it on." She ran her hand, subconsciously, underneath her eyes and wiped away any tears that could have fallen or any make-up smudged. Her chest swelled with a deep inhalation and collapsed back down again with its exhale.  
  
"Are you okay?" Vaughn asked, finishing up in the bathroom. He had always liked his hair done in the morning even though by lunch it was always a mess from running his fingers through it. He was in a hotel room with Sydney Bristow, it finally hit him. How many endless nights did he dream about an op like this? He was allowed to show affection for her and maybe, she could show something back. He met her outside of the bathroom door and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.  
  
"I will be." His touch was warm and tingled her body. His touch was additive and as his hand rested over her hip, a list was quickly made in her head with questions she had been dying to ask him since they met. With each step, another question was added. They walked out the door and closed it tightly behind them. Vaughn double checked the door, removing one hand from her body but promptly return it to its place. He wanted to ask her what she was thinking but he figured that it would be a questioned served over breakfast, whatever that might be. There was no conversation made between them. Both of them needed to think of what they wanted to say. The perfect looking couple made their way down the hallway, with gold and sage carpeting with matching faux painted walls. Everything was gilded and glowed from the yellow lights against the walls. There was a perfect glow that showed each of their features. The light shined over her eyes and the accents of her face and on him, the wonderful cleft in his chin and that dimple that only showed when he was happy. Things were too perfect. Perfect. The gilded elevator was next and they were alone. She pulled herself closer into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He opened his mouth to say something be promptly decided against it. Her emotions were like a roller coaster no one wanted to ride. He didn't force her close but just awkwardly patted her back and made one soft soothing sound.  
  
He cleared his throat, "The dream again?"  
  
She stood up straight and pretended like nothing had just happened. "Just making sure you're here." Liar. She wanted to smell him, make a scent memory into her head, what Michael Vaughn smelt like after waking up. That would be tucked into a good place and revealed when she was awfully depressed, a characteristic that she had been feeling much too much of lately.  
  
They made their way downstairs, her wrapped in his arms the entire way. They looked like they belonged together and allowed themselves to act on the feelings they had kept held and bottled for such a long time. His skin lit hers afire and she enjoyed getting burned. They walked past the front desk and suddenly, Sydney remembered what her father had said. "My mom is sending us something. I'm gonna check the desk." She whispered into his shoulder.  
  
"Oh, okay." Vaughn replied quietly, not wanted to let go of her for a moment. His arms fastened tighter as they approached the heavy set man at the counter. Sydney stepped in front of him a little and he felt an unforeseen rush of pride for her. She wasn't just his asset or his agent. She made life start living and she had cleared the highest hurdles and killed the most disgusting demons. She was Super Woman.  
  
"Yes, hello. Is there a package for Mr. or Mrs. DeMarco?" Sydney leaned her elbows across the counter as the man eyed her. Vaughn allowed his attention to wander slightly, turning his body away from Sydney.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. DeMarco?" The man had a heavy Spanish accent.  
  
"Yes." Sydney was so good at her part. The accent, the clothes, she nailed it all. Vaughn walked closer towards her and wrapped his hands around Sydney's thin waist. He had to control himself not to kiss the small patch of skin that was screaming for his lips to touch. He was a romantic and loved small ways of showing public affection. He managed to bite his tongue to resist the urge. "A package arrived for you and your husband an hour ago." The man quickly produced a small package, about the size of a standard notebook. "I was told to give it to you the moment I saw you. The man who dropped it off said it was urgent. It was a good thing you came up to this. Very, very good."  
  
Vaughn took the package in his hands, releasing his grasp on Sydney. He turned it over in his hands before he extended his gratitude to the man. It was a small package, the size of an average high school textbook but considerably lighter. He started to walk towards the café, Sydney followed closely behind. It was elegantly called, "The Celestial." Everything was done in blues, golds, and silvers that caught the Spanish light from large windows that overlooked a river below them. "You're most secluded table, please?" Vaughn as the greeter, dressed in a long black dress with a white flower tied around her neck.  
  
"Of course." She murmured in Spanish. She walked through the rows of tables, filled with people chattering in different languages. Sydney's eyes were caught by one man who looked up at her and had that recognizing look in his eye. She opened her mouth to tell Vaughn to look but looked away. This was just a man looking at an attractive girl. That was something new, a foreign man checking her out. Please note sarcasm. They continued across the restaurant that seemed so much larger than it looked. Their feet were muffled by a tan carpet that was still plush, probably new.  
  
  
  
Finally, they reached an area, cornered off by Spanish screens. There were three other tables pushed against the kitchen wall and the rest of the restaurant was invisible from the table. Sydney and Vaughn were placed at a table that was cornered off almost completely. There was a wall on the back and left side, the screen was pressed flush against the front chair and the right side was exposed. The screen was large and completely concealed the table. Sydney sat down first and leaned forward on her elbows. She watched Vaughn melt into his seat, his eyes were wide and focused on the package. Sydney leaned over and found her cell phone with a bug killer on it. Vaughn set the package in the center of the table and leaned back into his chair. His eyes darted back and forth between Sydney and the package, her eyes did the same.  
  
"What do you want to do first?" Vaughn finally asked, his heart pounding so quickly in his chest he kept waiting for it to expel onto the yellow linens in front of him  
  
"I need to talk." She whispered, leaning deeper into her forearms.  
  
"Let's talk about whatever you want to talk about." He leaned in close and matched her tone. His breath stopped waiting to hear her reply. He was suddenly aware of heartbeat, every movement, every dust particle.  
  
She bit her lip and a little and lost eye contact with him. Her eyes memorized every inch of the crystal water glass in front of him. She suppressed the tears with gasp and tried to talk, "You know about the dreams."  
  
He nodded his head solemnly. "Do you want to talk about them?"  
  
She looked at him and gave him a blank stare as the words tripped and flowed out of her mouth, "I've seen your death in my mind so many times since Tai Pai. I cried myself to sleep every night you were missing and woke up crying. You have no idea how worried I was. I've never felt that fear before." She finally brought her tearful eyes up to his and tried to watch for his reaction. He tipped his head down and started to speak softly.  
  
He didn't like to look at her when she was like that. She was so vulnerable and sometimes it was easier to talk to his shoes. Now, he spoke to the table cloth, "Every time you're out on a mission, I don't sleep. There have been nights that I've slept with my cell on my chest-" His soul was splashing out of his mouth.  
  
"Please don't go on. My mom said-" She immediately stopped his fountain with a raised hand. Her eyebrows knit together like a careful net and new worry lines formed on her forehead.  
  
"Your mother?" His lines went up as soon as Irinia was mentioned.  
  
"But in the last week or so, these dreams have been getting worse." Sydney continued on her thought train. "And I can't help but think..but think if I lost you." The tears were coming back now, "I don't you at all."  
  
He didn't know what to say. He didn't know why and he didn't know how. Sydney Bristow wasn't suppose to be like this. He let his arms out and held onto both of her hands tightly. She needed to be coddled right now, whether she would accept it or not.  
  
"I don't know you. I work with you everyday and I don't know you. Tell me everything about you." She said looking at him with the purest eyes. She licked her lips, dry from her heavy breathing that had started when she had accidentally let it slip about her mother.almost letting it slip about how Irinia knew how Vaughn felt about her and had told her indirectly. It was so confusing.  
  
His brow wrinkled with surprise and he started to trip and fall over his words. "What-uh-and I um, what do you want to ya know? What-do you."  
  
"I want you to start at the beginning and tell me something I can't find in your profile."  
  
"Well.."  
  
"Your first girlfriend."  
  
"Oh." He drew quiet as he thought about Marie La Champ. "She was French and smart and funny and ugly as sin. I was twelve and she was thirteen. She was my next door neighbor and we played every Sunday after Church. One day, we were playing catch and she just ran towards me, knocked me over, and kissed me. She told me that I was her boyfriend. My reply? Don't hurt me."  
  
Sydney smiled and laughed a little. She watched him seriously and was about to say something that would run along the lines of confessing her feelings but the damn waitress came and asked to take their order.  
  
"Grapefruit and some coffee." Sydney ordered simply, raising her eyebrows letting him know it was his turn.  
  
"Scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast and coffee." He took both menus into his hands and handed them to the waitress. As soon as she left, Vaughn smiled, "Grapefruit? That's not breakfast, that's a snack."  
  
"It is a breakfast!" Sydney insisted, blinking away renegade tears. She shot him one of those 'take me seriously, damn it!' looks which made him instantly smile.  
  
He could read her like a book, "There's something about grapefruit. Some story." His mouth parted in a wondering smile. "Get on with it."  
  
It was her turn at the game of truth. "A funny story." Her cheeks began to glow a vibrant shade of pink.  
  
"Then let's here it!" Vaughn replied, smiling. His favorite color was the blush on her cheek. It was a rose pink that glowed only in selective lighting. He wanted to touch her cheeks and feel the burning sensation beneath his dull finger tips.  
  
Horrible and embarrassing flashbacks flooded her memory, causing her brow to wrinkle, in a good way, and her hand to cover her face, trying to shelter herself from the discomfiture she was facing. "Oh, I can't believe I even thought of that!"  
  
Now he was truly interested. She was embarrassed of something and now, he was dying to hear what it was. "Come, on! Tell me!"  
  
"Oh! Okay, okay. Promise not to laugh?"  
  
"Scout's honor!" He lifted his left hand.  
  
"Wrong hand!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, right sorry." He smiled broadly and switched his hand. His green eyes shone with such excitement that he was about to have a heart attack in anticipation. "So?"  
  
"Fine. When I was in 3rd grade, I took French. The teacher was a real SOB and hated me. One day, I came into class late and she asked me a question in French. I thought she asked me what was my favorite fruit was but it was really what my nickname was." Vaughn started to snicker slightly, "I was 8, gimme a break. So, I replied pamplemoose."  
  
"Grapefruit. You said grapefruit." His laughs were becoming contagious, catching into her speech.  
  
Sydney began to giggle girlishly. "And from day I was known as Pamplemoose Bristow in that class."  
  
Vaughn was beyond hysterics at that point. "Qu'est-ce c'est ton prenom is not qu'est-ce que ton favorite fruit." He managed to squeak in between fits of hysteria.  
  
"Will you please keep it down? It's bad enough that during fourth grade I was known as Moose! I grew out of that nickname, thank goodness but I was scarred! No mother or technically father and a nanny, who bought into it! She called me Moosie until my high school graduation!" She hissed. She was way, way beyond mortified at this point. Her best friend and possible love interest was going to die from lack of oxygen from laughing. "You know, I'm going to put on your tombstone 'died laughing' if you don't quit it! Didn't your mother ever teach not to laugh at girls?" She hissed as he leaned over the table, still laughing. "I'm changing the subject!"  
  
"Fine. Fine!" Vaughn cried for mercy. Tears of pure joy began to exorcise from his green eyes.  
  
She laughed harder and tried to catch her breath after few minutes. She settled with excited gasp that left smiling lips. When was the last time she thought so deep into her past? She let her body grow serious and starred at the package, forgotten in the story. "Let's open the package from my mother."  
  
Boy, if you ever want to see a man snap out of a laughing fit, there's the way to do it. He grew white out of panic and his brown eyes got as wide as saucers. Cotton mouth set in extraordinarily fast. He frantically tried to talk but his tongue wouldn't move, instead he nodded a pathetic little nod. He reached towards the package and careful tore it open with his knife. The brown packing material opened to reveal a white box. He open that and revealed two envelopes and a walkman with a tape deck. One envelope read, "READ FIRST" in bold lettering. Vaughn took it in his hands and read it aloud, shaking and a soft voice, "Please read and hear these separately. Give Bristow the tape and Vaughn the sealed letter." He read aloud.  
  
"I don't think that's necessary." Sydney replied hastily, she opened her palm and waited for Vaughn to place the tape player in her hand. He did and without hesitation, she placed the headphones and hit play. Everything else was a blur. She heard her mother's velvet voice fill her mind. Even in the state she was in, Sydney could hear the tears in her voice when she said certain lines, "We became so close. I talked about you constantly and he spoke of his little boy, who was around eight. He spoke of love almost daily, love for his wife Nanette, his son who always remained nameless and his country. He had the most love for the CIA. Almost more than you or your handler or your father. But William was gorgeous in ways only you would understand. He and his father are identical.. William told the guards that he would be the one who would die..'Never say you killed me. Never regret this decision. I die for my country and I die for my son and your daughter.. It was the worst moment of my life. Almost as bad as faking my death or leaving you. Sydney, I was in love with him. Please, forgive. Please. I love you. I love you." The tape deck stopped spinning. Tears had flooded Sydney's face as she looked, absolutely horrified at Vaughn. She didn't know what to think first..how William had died or that her mother was in love with him or that her mother knew that Vaughn had feelings for her or what. She didn't know what to say. She muffled her sobs with her hands, trying to get her emotions back in check but there was no going back anymore. She had crossed a line somewhere. It was impossible to take in. That her mother had compared herself to her and that William was like Vaughn but.  
  
"Sydney, what is it?" Vaughn hadn't read his letter yet. He was too busy watching her reaction. "Syd, you're scaring me. Is something wrong? Give me the tape!" His voice was hushed as he called her by her true name. His heart stopped for a moment, letting the fear overcome his body. He started to go into panic mode.  
  
"Read your letter." She said clearly, shutting her systems down. She removed the headphones and starred at him. How could this be happening? How could her mother kill someone she loved? She could never kill Vaughn, she would die herself first. His death was too painful for her and she was positive, that if he ever did die, she would go within the week from a broken heart. Love changes everything, including a girl's view on death. She was in love with him. Sydney Eleanor Bristow was in love, love with Michael Christopher Vaughn.  
  
He didn't know what exactly was going but he picked up his letter, sealed in a white virgin envelope and started to read:  
  
Dear Mr. Vaughn,  
  
I know you don't have the highest opinion of me and I can't say that I blame you. If I were in your position, I would hate me. I need you to be alone when you're reading this. This is going to be powerful and you're going to hate every word of it. I hate writing it but please, you need to finish it. I've never admitted half of these things aloud and there going to very difficult for you to read. Please keep that in mind. There are so many things that I need to tell you and I don't know where to start. Let me start with something you can control. I know how you feel about my daughter and before I go any further I think you should go ahead and make your move. If you have a fear of her not feeling the same way, she feels the same way. I must keep this short. I want to tell you to circumstances that led to your father's death. We were on separate mission in Pakistan and somehow or another, we ended up in the same general vicinity. At this point, you were barely two and I had received word to go and collect a document from a building in Pakistan. Apparently, I was the only one they trusted with this. I left on my vacation, leaving you in your father's care as I went off. The mission went off without any mistakes. I entered the library of the building I was in and encountered him. He was looking for a different document and had no knowledge I was going to be there. We barely had time to do anything but look at each other because guards came into both doors, one on each end of the narrow hallway and before I could turn, I was shot with a tranq dart in my hip. They had seen me enter. William suffered a similar fate. We were bound, gagged and transported to that prison. We were put in the same cell and assumed that we were partners. From that moment on for about three weeks, we spent every moment with each other. We ate whatever food they gave us together, slept across from one another and were tortured together. We became so close. I talked about you constantly and he spoke of his little boy, who was around eight. He spoke of love almost daily, love for his wife Nanette, his son who always remained nameless and his country. He had the most love for the CIA. You and your father are identical in more than one way. I'm so sorry to say this but somewhere along the line I developed feelings for him. I'll never know if he felt the same way but the guards picked up on my attraction to him. It was nothing more that a girlish crush. We tried to escape so many times, through the sewers, the mine field, everything you could possibly think of but we were always captured and horrifically tortured. One day, February 23, we were taken out of our cell and back into the torture room. They tortured us for hours until I was slipping in and out of consciousness from lose of blood. I was much worse off than he was. They didn't mind him as much as they hated a female spy. After the torture was finished, William was brought closer to me, I was strapped to a bed. His green eyes were so friendly and understanding. They were your green eyes at their purest. We were given a choice. They would kill us both, using the slow methods they were using or if one of us was the kill the other, they would let the other go and receive full medical attention I barely opened my mouth when William told the guards that he would be the one who died. I cried and screamed refuting him but he was solid and said that I had a baby girl to worry about. I remember screaming about his little boy and he said, I'll never forget it, he said that his son was destined to take on his work. He was going to be a CIA because of his death. I cried so. My confidant would die by my hand. I was un strapped, still bleeding horribly. I was handed a gun and William stood across from me. There were three guards on me, one with a gun to my head, one to my back, one to my abdomen and on William, there was a guard holding a gun to his back. There, they told me to pull the trigger. William told me something I was supposed to tell his son and my daughter. I practically tattooed it to my body. It was, 'Never say you killed me. Never regret this decision. I die for my country and I die for my son and your daughter.' I honestly don't know whether this makes the situation that much better or worse. I pulled the trigger and everything went black. I woke in a hospital, in the states. I never knew if he had died or if I, by some miracle missed. It wasn't until years later that I found out I had and that they had mutilated his body. It was the worst moment of my life. Almost as bad as faking my death or leaving Sydney. I don't expect you to forgive me but the only thing I ask of you is to not hold this against my daughter. She is in love with you and would do anything for you. I learned that the night in Tai Pei and then again through your little interactions. The antidote is a prime example. So, please Mr. Vaughn, destroy this letter when you are finished but don't destroy what you and my daughter have.  
  
Irinia Derveko.  
  
  
  
  
  
Vaughn set the letter down and he looked at Sydney with a matching expression of dread, sorrow and disbelief. He was overcome by emotion and wanted to die at that moment. He was now visibly shaking and couldn't even open his mouth to speak properly. His mouth kept dropping open and returning back.  
  
Sydney returned the frightened gaze and got to her feet suddenly. "We need to get out of here-now." She grabbed any remains of the packaging and threw them into her bag. She tossed every article into her bag and threw some money on the table. She wasn't sure how much it was, just enough to cover the food probably. She reached for Vaughn's hand and pulled him past all of the people, giving them gaping looks and showing remorse on their face as the crying couple ran past. He wasn't even crying, he just starred like Francie did off. He had finally learned how his father died. It was the most horrific thing in the world. He couldn't form sentences let alone words. They just wouldn't come and didn't want to. He needed to be alone and just sort things out in his mind.  
  
They made their way back up to their hotel room. Things started to blur together and the next thing she could clearly see was sliding the hotel room key into the door and walking in. Vaughn was in a deep state of shock and only moved when encouraged. She walked into the door and hoped he would follow. Sadly enough, he didn't. She walked back towards him, wrapped her arms around his middle and coaxed him towards the bed, where he sat down at the edge and she kneeled at his feet, taking his hands tightly in hers. "Vaughn, talk to me. You're scaring me. Say something, anything." She pleaded through her own tears.  
  
Tears flowed freely from his face. "Why did my mother know the story?" He asked finally. He pulled his hands away from Sydney's grasp and covered his face. "Why did my mother know that story?"  
  
Sydney got to her feet, shocked at his initial reaction. She stepped up towards him and let him sink his head into her stomach, where she ran her hand over his head and back. "We'll work it out. We'll work it out. You're just stunned. Relax. Relax."  
  
They stayed like that for a long time and soon, they both ran out of tears. Vaughn pulled away from Sydney and stood up. The shock was suddenly erased from his eyes and replaced with anger. "I need to be alone." He walked sternly out to the balcony, sat down and locked it tightly behind him. There was a white rod iron chair out there and he collapsed into it, and gazed out into the pool below, full of laughing screaming children. He just shook violently and tried to block out any thoughts. Sydney's mother had fallen in love with his father and he was killed because of that love. What would happen if he fell in love with Sydney and then she followed in her mother's footsteps. Wait a minute, he was in love with Sydney. That's what made him so upset. That their love was doomed like the love between his father and Irinia was doomed but wait! He was married to his mother and he was eight! William couldn't fall in love with someone else! His father was almost having an affair! He wanted to put his fist through the wall so badly or do something radical. Instead, he just sat there, wallowing in his own self-pity. It had swallowed him whole and threw him into the lava pit. He was destined to be consumed like his father had been. He was destined to follow in his father's footsteps and that included being killed by his love. Maybe he would do it first, get it over with. But first, he need to let his love know, do something about it and then end the cycle. He started to make a plan in his head, how he would do it. The cycle would end now. He would force it to end. His thoughts drifted back towards Sydney. She had curled up on the floor and just starred at him with the most desperate look of longing on her face. He knew that she wanted to comfort him and erase all of this but it was impossible. He needed to be alone, couldn't go near her for a moment. It wasn't her fault that her mother did this but when adrenaline is running that high, you think stupid things. Somewhere along the lines, his chest stopped pounding and he was calm. Sydney would survive this and go on, with a new handler and take down SD-6, without him. She wouldn't die of a broken heart, she was too tough for that. Was this going to be suicide? No, it was ending a cycle that would destroy him and Sydney. He sat out there for hours, until his head finally cleared. He had a plan that would make this end by the midnight that night.  
  
TBC!!!  
  
Please Read and Review! 


	9. Innoncence Lost, Destiny Found

A/N Thank you so much for all the reviews! I haven't forgotten about this story and it's gonna be a like calm right now but I promise PROMISE that a twist that you could never expect is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read on and review, review, review!!  
  
11:00 in the morning quickly turned to noon that turned to 5:34. She had dozed a little, cried herself dry of tears, calmed her thoughts, listened to the tape at least three more times and then came to terms with everything. Her mother had fallen in love with Vaughn's father. And then she added, some things were destined. She and Vaughn were destined. Destined to what exactly? Destined to kill each other out of love? Well, they would not fall pray to the cycle. That would end midnight that night. Sydney would take destiny by the horns and change it. She was over. Her family was endangered, her closest friends' were suffering from deep shook, and Vaughn was falling apart at the seams. She was over. She formulated a plan that involved a gun, a silencer, and the locked bathroom door. Finally, Sydney locked herself in the bathroom after rummaging through the suitcase and finding five essential items, and started to wash up. It wasn't about to end right now but she needed to do some things once last time. That phrase seemed for foreign. "One last time." She spoke softly aloud to the mirror, standing her harshly back.  
  
She removed the wig and the make-up and decided to start from scratch. She needed to get out of there. Her make-up was entirely removed and she pulled her long hair into a simple ponytail. She changed out of the white dress, left crumpled on the floor in the corner. A one-piece black bathing suit with gray running capris, a matching gray work-out top with white piping, socks, and her favorite brand of running shoes. She looked ready for a good workout. Her last workout.  
  
She exited the bathroom, making no noise as the door pushed out into the room. She carelessly glanced around the room and settled on Vaughn, still sitting outside. Her body carried her over to the sliding glass door and knelt beside it. "Hey." She whispered to no reply. "Listen, I'm gonna go work-out, you wanna come?" No reply. "Vaughn, just answer me and I'll leave you alone. I need to know that you're not going to do anything crazy before I get back." She continued softly. She brought her hand up the glass pane and touched it softly. It was sticky and humid. "Please, Vaughn."  
  
Vaughn's eyes rolled down as he looked down at her. His lips were pressed into a deep, straight line and he looked so serious. His eyes were clouded over with shame, embarrassment, anger, frustration, sadness and every other human emotion with the notable exception of happiness. His lips parted and he finally spoke for the first time in hours, "Go."  
  
That was enough but she couldn't help the words from slipping so rapidly out of her mouth. "Please tell me, are you all right? I mean, you're gonna be okay? Just please, open the door and talk with me. Talk to me." She recited that line she had rehearsed so many times in her head. "I'm you ally, remember? Never question that. You can talk to me about anything. How many times have I talked to you about stupid things?" She didn't breakdown as she thought she was going to but instead smiled at their warm forbidden touches, the thought of his lips against hers..  
  
"Sydney," he started, looking back out towards the balcony, "I need to sort this things out on my own. Go, work-out and we'll do something tonight." He closed his eyes, promptly ending the conversation.  
  
She got to her feet, slightly shaken from his conversation and more sure than ever that she needed to end the cycle that night. She peeled herself away his view, grabbed her walkman, the one without her mother's tape in it, and walked out the door. She made her down to the lobby, full spy skills set in. After navigating the hallways, she found the gym, completely empty. The treadmill was her first thought. The walkman was thrown over her ears and music attempted to sooth her soul. Everything had to do with love and lust or something on the romantic side. Love wasn't right for running. She needed to get away from it all. Her fingers hit fast forward and rewind until four minutes had passed and a mile had passed underneath her feet. Frustrated as anything, she threw off the music and started to concentrate on her feet, pounding against the pavement. Four minutes turned to eight and eight to twelve until over three miles had passed. She was going at full speed towards the end of her rope. It was only a few miles and a few hours away. Breath was coming rapid to her now and she loved the feeling of the gasps that heaved from her chest. There was no stopping now. The treadmill repeated its track over and over again. Her eyes glanced down at the calorie counter. She was well over 500 calories but suddenly didn't care. If she were anyone else, she would have jumped up and started to dance around happily. But she wasn't any other woman. This was normal for her. A full sweat dripped down her back as she jogged over to the weights, doing a full set, strengthening everything. Each lift, she make one more finalization in her plan. Tonight was the night her love was going to confessed. Tonight was the night that she was going to show him how much he meant to her. Tonight was the night the cycle ended.  
  
Her eyes flicked around the gym, that was probably the size of her house, and rested on a red punching bag, standing alone in a little corner but the entrance to the pool. Her feet brought her over there and she started to punch the bag viciously. She wasn't mad at one particular thing but it just felt good to punch something so hard that it made her arms hurt and her body sore.  
  
A light breeze whipped past her as the door to the pool opened and an athletic figure dove in, barely missing a step. The figure's movements were traced and she stood still, watching him for a moment. She straightened up and had the sudden urge to go for a swim. Vaughn was severely depressed and needed his space but he needed her, whether he knew it or not. She suddenly became the puppy dog following the master or the helpless teenage girl in love for the first guy that would barely give her the time of day. She followed into the pool area, barely breathing, barely blinking. The heavy chlorine pool smell hit her hard but it was so overpowering that if was comforting. The sticky humidity of the pool wrapped around her and made her bones uncomfortable. She licked her lips nervously and started to remove her exercise clothes until she stood in only her black bathing suit. The peaceful waters were choppy as Vaughn finished his second lap. He swam so fast. He was nearing the side of the pool in which Sydney stood on when she jumped in, standing feet in the water that reached her waist, that was about as warm as a bathtub. The water got deeper as the pool stretched out to the other end of the room. She ducked under quickly, soaking her body through and through. He was edging closer and closer to her, painfully unaware of Sydney standing there. His thoughts were only on the water and breathing whenever his lungs felt compressed. He was rocked from his world when he felt two strong hands on his shoulders, forcing him to stop. His head jerked out of the water and he stood defensive in front of her.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" He exclaimed defensively. "What?" He pressed when she refused an answer.  
  
There was no anger in her body, only shame. "You can't keep this bottled up. It will kill you." And it will kill me.  
  
You think you know, but you have no idea. "I've already come to terms with it. I'm okay with it. What are you doing here? I thought you didn't do laps."  
  
"I don't." She was being scolded by Vaughn? There wasn't an ounce of her that didn't want to grab him by the neck and press her lips deeply into his and fall back into the water, gasping until they both ran out of air. "I'm worried about you."  
  
"I'm a little old to be coddled!"  
  
"You need someone to look out for you!"  
  
"And I don't need you for that!" Vaughn repeated the conversation she had shouted at him not six weeks ago. "I don't need anyone." He pulled away from her grasp and in a fluid movement, started to get out of the pool.  
  
She followed, standing not six inches behind him, standing on the cement edge. "You always need someone." She said fiercely. "And I'm your someone. Your mine and I'm yours. Now come here, damn it." Vaughn slowly turned around and faced her, dripping wet. "Come here." She spread her arms and wrapped them around him. "It's my turn to do this for you. You've always been so strong for me but what have I ever done for you? Everyone needs to be weak sometimes. Don't worry. We'll work this out." She spoke into his shoulder as he collapsed down onto her body, refusing to let tears shake his body. It was true, he was weak. "Let's sit." She coaxed, her voice soft and soothing. She brought him near the edge of the pool and put her feet in the water. She rested her hand over his and started to talk like a mother to her heart-broken son. "Let's talk about what just happened."  
  
"The letter."  
  
"The letter."  
  
Vaughn shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. His eyes were focused on the perfect blue water, reflecting the blue tiles that were on the bottom. "The fact that your mother and my father knew each other doesn't bother me. Your mother killed my father, doesn't even phase me any more. Your mother had feelings for my father, bothers me. Your mother killed my father because she had feelings for him. My father died for me and you. My mother knew the entire story. That's what bothers me."  
  
"My mother was.don't take this the wrong way, "Vaughn shook his head as if to say of course not, "my mother was in a loveless relationship and would have fallen for the first thing she came in contract with. It's her fault your father died and there's a part of me that will never forgive her for that. I don't know why your mother knew the story. Maybe it was released to her.or maybe-"  
  
"Maybe she was there?"  
  
"That's ridiculous and you know it."  
  
"Is it? How utterly perfect would that be? Your mother and my mother working together to bring down the agency that my father had dedicated his life to? The agency your father dedicated his life to? It's all too perfect."  
  
"Your mother's French and was home with you during the time, wasn't she?"  
  
"Maybe she wasn't! I was probably dropped off at neighbor's while she plotted to kill me father. I should have recognized the signs earlier!"  
  
"Listen, you need to get a hold of yourself now!" She replied, which came out harsher than she wanted it to. "You're getting hysterical."  
  
"I am not getting hysterical. Where are you going?" Vaughn turned his head as Sydney got to her feet .  
  
"We're going out. Right now. We're going dancing before you turn into a conspiracy theorist. You're going to convince yourself that your mother was KGB and you know in your right mind she wasn't. We're going dancing. Get up and let's go. I swear, you're worse than I am sometimes." She scoffed as she grabbed her clothes, straightened up, pulled the door open. "I flat out refuse for you to sit here or up at the hotel room and sulk and try to figure things out that you never had any control over in the first place! Face it, there are some things not even you can control!"  
  
"I resent that." He replied. "And I don't think that we should be going out at a time like-"  
  
"Like what, Peter, this? I think tonight is the perfect night to really get away from it all. I mean it, all of it." Sydney snapped into Portia as she noticed there were a few hotel guests in the gym. "There's not saying no to me now." She reached up and pecked him on the cheek. She wanted him so badly all of a sudden it physically hurt inside of her.  
  
"Fine, Porche. Have it your way." He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked out like the almost happy couple they were.  
  
  
  
  
  
BACK IN THE ROOM  
  
  
  
  
  
She applied sweet smelling moisturizer, white eye shadow and thick black, powdered eyeliner. Thickening mascara went first followed by foundation and concealer, to get rid of the bags underneath her eyes. A sweet petal pink blush went next, accenting her cheekbones, all by looking soft and natural. A berry color lipstick went next. Her hair was taken down and brushed out, put into a French braid and then sprayed in place. She sat down on the cold ceramic floor and started to style her wig into the same style but make-up look a little nicer. She fastened it to her head and Portia was alive once again. It was nighttime and the white dress no longer worked. She walked out of the bathroom, and let a sigh escape her lips as Vaughn still sat out there, staring off in the distant. She rummaged through her bag and found a pair of tight black pants and a black tube top with a series of tight fabric covered buttons down the back. It was ultra-sexy and ultra-cool. What guy wouldn't want her with a body like hers in an outfit like this? Back to the bathroom she went. She wiggled into it and managed to button all the buttons. It's amazing what she was capable of. One more exit from the bathroom came and she changed into high strappy sandals. No jewelry was put on, except for her ring that stayed on her finger. She looked hard at herself in the mirror and began to over analyze what she felt towards Vaughn. She was attracted to him, no doubt in her mind. She loved the way his mind worked and she loved to look at him. This was something worse than a crush, she could possibly be in love with him. She smiled quickly and banished the thoughts from her mind. She loved him and it would be the death of them, literally. SD-6 didn't succeed in killing her but she would. The only way to make everything right in the world was the make this end, that night. She closed her eyes and quickly envisioned Vaughn's reaction. He would probably cry and become distraught but this was all for the better. He was going to better off without her. He could go back into Alice's open arms and that would be that. Her father would be upset but he would understand.Francie and Will would probably still be in shock over what had happened that morning but after everything sunk it, they would be fine. Will wouldn't have to keep looking over his shoulder for SD-6. They would have to lose interest in him. They would still try to find her and on discovering the death of an agent, they would go on like nothing had happened. She let a sigh quickly escape into the bathroom. Tonight was the night that she would tell Vaughn had she felt and then not worry about his reaction. Tonight was the night. "Well, I better get going or else tonight will never come." Her words seemed foreign and it was almost like she didn't speak them.but she did. It was time to get going.  
  
Her clicking heels brought her towards the door, where she knocked softly. He had gone back out onto the balcony to get some air and give Sydney some room to get changed in peace. He had drifted far away in his thoughts. His plan was formulated in his head and he slowly decided that his gun was not the way to do it. Sydney said she had seen his blood before and as his last wish, she would not see it again. A bottle of Bourbon and the sleeping pills would have to due. It was quick, easy, and painless. It would just like he had fallen asleep in the bathroom. But as he came to the conclusions, one thing was still unsettled. Why did his mother know the story of his father's death. It just didn't make any sense. He leaned forward and rested his head in his hands, running them through his tightly gelled hair. He shook his head quickly to rid himself of these thoughts and looked out onto the city that lay before him. He sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He would have to die without knowing the answers. He was suddenly disrupted from his thoughts by a tapping noise near his head. She had hurried around and was finally done. Vaughn stirred slightly and then turned around. He nodded at her approval. She motioned for him to open the door. He was already dressed in a tight fitting black shirt and black pants.  
  
"You look great." He managed to chock out, begging his mind not allow his tongue to speak. "Really, really great."  
  
"Thank you." She replied, feelings the warm sensation fill her checks. "You do too." She casually let her eyes drop down and run over his body. *Good lord, how perfect is he?*  
  
He smiled for the first time in hours 


	10. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila,...

A/N: So sorry for the delay and thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...or Eden's Crush "You Know I Can."  
  
Summary: Sydney is discovered by SD-6, forcing her and Vaughn into exile in Madrid. There, they learn the secrets revolving around Vaughn's father's death which drives them both to having suicidal thoughts and creating their final plans. They go out, for one last time and something goes horribly wrong, leading both to a secret they could never see coming.  
"You look great." He managed to chock out, begging his mind not allow his tongue to speak. "Really, really great."  
  
"Thank you." She replied, feelings the warm sensation fill her checks. "You do too." She casually let her eyes drop down and run over his body. *Good lord, how perfect is he?*  
  
He smiled for the first time in hours.  
  
********************************************************************* She casually returned the smile and extended her hand. "Let's get out of here." Her fake nails brushed against his skin as she squeezed his hand tight. The smile extended over her mouth and soon she was bursting with passion for him.  
  
"Where are we going?" He asked, taking her hand into his. Her fingers laced perfectly into his. She had never looked more perfect. Everything about her was perfectly put together and she seemed so confident...no longer shaken by past events or dreams or family.  
  
Sydney thought for a moment and began to walk towards the door, feeling the warmth from his body run through hers. The decision had already been made but she wanted to make him suffer in anticipation for just a few more seconds. "Let's go dancing."  
  
He was slightly taken aback by this. "Dancing?" He stopped moving and looked at her puzzled. "Where?" Sometimes he could figure her out like a well read classic book but other times, she was as foreign as an unknown language.  
  
She pulled his body a little bit with a playful tug. "There's a club about three blocks from here. It opens at 6:00." She replied and started to walk backwards. The master was dragging the dog towards the rain outside. "Let's go." She licked her lips quickly, looking hopefully into his green eyes. They were so deep and held so much pain that she was completely unaware of. He masked himself well. He gazed back into hers as he was pulled towards the door. The honey brown eyes swallowed him whole and begged for him to touch her face. He restrained himself from taking her right there. She wanted to get of the place and he couldn't agree more. This was going to be the last place he saw on earth and wanted to see and do whatever he could before midnight tonight. "Let's go."  
  
He agreed and was pulled out into the hallway, completely empty of people and sound. "Is there anyone ever in this hotel?" He finally asked aloud, with full accent and entirely in character. He smiled a little and looked at her.  
  
She straightened herself up and said with the air of a English princess, "It's nice to be alone is such a place." The answer was truly Sydney's, not Portia. Sydney shrugged her shoulders and gave him another playful tug and opened her mouth to say something but promptly decided against it. There would be time for sentimental words later. But not too much later. Four hours and counting.  
  
"You are something else, Porsche." Syd.  
  
"I know."  
  
They continued to walk hand and hand out of the hotel and onto the bustling streets of Madrid. People walked passed, completely unaware that two of the United States' finest intelligence agents were brushing shoulders and muttering apologizes among them. They blended in perfectly and no one would ever suspect that she was wanted by one of the most prominent intelligence agencies in the world or that he held all of her secrets and kept a steady liaison with one of the most prominent organizations in society for her. They walked three blocks, each absorbed in each other and their own thoughts. No words were bothered to be said. It wasn't needed. She just let the flow of heat run through her body through her fingertips, tightly clasped in his. He would occasionally glance at her, completely bewildered at where they were going or what exactly what they were going to do once they got their. They finally reached a little black building that read in white lettering, "Lovers Paradise."  
  
"This is it." Sydney proclaimed proudly. She dropped his hand and placed her hands on her hips. "Awesome, isn't it?" They went into the smoked glass doors and down a winding set of stairs that seemed endless. They weren't very wide and were harsh looking of cement and metal. People seemed to swarm everywhere and were already pressed up close to each other. They were both slightly hesitant to go in but it was what they needed/wanted. The club was finally reached.  
  
"How did you find this place?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows in slight discomfort.  
  
"I was here on an assignment for them..before I met you and I had to come here and dance." Sydney replied with a perfect accent and even a little hair toss at the appropriate moments. "I have a great memory, don't I?" She knew he knew what she was getting out. He was smart, or at least she hoped he was. He worked for the CIA or he worked for the CIA. What if he would be forced into protective custody? How could he survive without being Michael Vaughn? What would they change his name to? How could she live without him-wait a minute. She almost forgot or chose to forget what was going to happen in a few hours. She wrestled with the fact of the right thing to do. She wasn't doing it for herself that was pretty clear. She was doing it because of Vaughn. No, it was for Vaughn. Her death would save him from a life of misery, pain, and ultimately his death. They were star crossed lovers from the get go and this star was about to fall. She was going to end her part of this cycle in a few hours. He could live without her. He would get over this little crush that he had on her. He would. He would have to. She quickly shook her head trying to rid her brain of these frightening thoughts.  
  
He smiled a reply, completely unaware of what she was thinking about. All he knew was that this was going to be the last night on Earth for him, a little morbid, but it was. He would be damned if he wasn't going to be happy all night long. He couldn't let on to her at all. He tucked his emotions and himself tighter to her and walked down the steep stairs to the club. People were crowded together, attempting to get into the super swank (to use Marshall's word) club.  
  
The club itself was one large room that was the size of the Joint Task Force Ops. It was black with smoke machines and lights of all colors strobing about the room. There was a bar in the corner, with a row of people pounding down tequila shots. The dance floor was crawling with mostly college level people, dancing and sweating all over each other. The music was loud and extreme techno. It was perfect. Sydney smiled a cunning smile and turned to Vaughn, who looked just as excited as she did. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, feeling the energy flow through her body, causing it to move like an Indian dancer to native music. She took her eyes of off the room for a moment and watched his reaction. She tugged as his arm a little to get his attention. He seemed lost in the world of the underground club scene. "Let's get a drink and dance." She tipped her head seductively and led Vaughn to the bar. He obeyed silently, wanting more and more to dance with her and feel her body against his. She found an empty spot at the bar and motioned for the bar tender. "Tequila. Dos." She motioned with her hand for two tequilas which were promptly produced. She took one in each hand and handed one to Vaughn, who was glancing about the tight room. A salt shaker was grabbed and she licked her wrist, raising her eyebrows, full knowledge of what this night was going to bring. "To new beginnings and finishing old business." Her bubble gum tongue licked over the salt. She motioned to Vaughn with her shot glass and swallowed the intoxicating liquid in one swallow. It slide down her throat and immediately dulled her senses. It was the best feeling in the world. "C'mon." He quickly followed suit, not taking his eyes of off her for a moment. At one point, he thought he stopped blinking.  
  
"Let's go." She said a little louder and he felt his mouth drop open a little bit. His eyes were wide from excitement and almost shock. Sydney almost seemed innocent on some occasions, when she wore a simple black pant suit with her hair pin straight but now, she was dancing and moving her body in way that he had never seen her as they made their way. The couple made their way onto the dance floor, where Vaughn wrapped Sydney's arm around his neck and pulled her close. He put his hands on her hips and she crept closer and closer until they were flush against each other. They danced tightly and seductively. He let go of her hand and let his hand slide down her arm and rested almost comfortably on her hip. The techno music blared in their ears as she moved closer and closer to his already warm body.  
  
I'm not as naïve as you think I am Know what goes on between a woman and a man Don't act so serious  
  
Just take my hand If you wanna know Can I do you right Can I make you want me You know I can  
  
"We finally get to be seen in public together." Sydney spoke into his ear. The excitement bubbled over in her.  
  
He started to laugh lightly at first. "We've never done this before." He said into her ear. His breath tickled the back of her neck and sent chills down her spine. His sweet lips almost touched her ear.  
  
"Oh yeah. Our plans never work out.." Her hip hit his as she began to dance. She returned the sensation by talking near his ear.  
  
"We never saw that hockey game-"  
  
"Or went out to the restaurant in Barcelona." She pulled herself closer to him and all she could do was try to refrain from smiling to wide. It was a long time she flirted with someone. Not since Noah and even then it was too easy. Vaughn was not like anyone she ever met. Danny was safe and little unpredictable, Noah was too wild but Vaughn, Vaughn would always be there and he understood her but he had a side that she knew she didn't know. But she wanted to know, oh so badly.  
  
"Yeah I know but what about if we dance a little bit now?" Vaughn let his hands slide down her side onto her rear end and rested on her waist. She put her hands on the back on his neck and played with the hairline on the back of his neck. A smile crept up to his face. After all of those years of learning to keep his emotions in check, he had finally let his guard down. She was the first one to ever understand this life and she was the only woman that was an active part of his day to day routine.  
  
That was the smile she lived for. It lit up everything and made her feel so safe.so secure. It was the same smile she wished she could fill the picture frame he had given her for Christmas. She let herself be drawn closer to him, so close that they were almost pressed up against each other.both beginning to lose their breath. She felt his heart racing against her dress. He was holding her so tightly to him and she didn't want to be anywhere else in the world.  
  
"I would like that." She replied. She scoffed a little at her own flirty nature. "Vaughn."  
  
"What?" He was still smiling and enjoying every minute that he was close to her. His hands drifted down her side but returned them to her waist again. It was all a tease to him. His forehead was almost pressed to hers and he looked down, trying to catch her eye.  
  
"I'm glad that since this happened..I'm with you." She pressed her forehead against his and smiled at him. "I'm glad we're together."  
  
He started to laugh a nervous little laugh, "You know, I'm really glad I'm here with you. Madrid is great, isn't it?" He looked down at her and suddenly had pity for her in his eyes. "You're okay, right?"  
  
"I'm doing okay." She drew serious for a moment, banishing the smile from her face and beckoning for the tears to leave her eyes. She straightened up a little it and looked into his eyes. "I would be a mess if you weren't here, though." She felt the salty tears threaten to overturn themselves but shook her head. "I need another drink." Her body brought her back to the bar and another tequila was ordered and swallowed. That made two. Vaughn had loosely followed her but was promptly turned back when Sydney threw her head back to swallow the shot.  
  
"I think I'm gonna need one." He muttered to himself and pushed Sydney back towards the bar. "Dos!" He motioned to the bartender. One for him and one for her went down their throats quickly followed by his third. Sydney leaned over towards him, crossing her arms across her lap, causing her chest to squeeze together.  
  
"You hold your liquor well, my friend." She was growing looser by the moment, rolling her neck around while she spoke.  
  
"But I dance better." He swiftly replied, taking her to his body and back to the dance floor in one steady movement. She gasped quickly and then leaned back into her flexible back, thanks to many years of ballet training. She straightened him and wrapped her leg around his. He went along with this, a complete marvel at what was going. They continued to dance close and fast, feeling every inch of each other. The tequila was enough to dull her senses enough to be such a flirt or slut or whatever you want to call a girl hanging all over a guy. But hey, he was loving every single minute of it.  
You look at me and see innocence  
  
Might seem like I don't have experience  
  
Nothing you give to me is too intense  
  
If you wanna know  
  
Can I do your right  
  
Can I make you want me  
  
You know I can  
The hours drifted by but only one more shot was ordered for each of them. The music had dulled down for half of a minute when Sydney's eyes drifted on the watch that Vaughn had fastened to his wrist. It read 10:45. She had an hour and fifteen minutes. "I want to go back to the room?"  
  
"Was that a question or a command?" He asked flirting just as much as she was.  
  
"Whatever you want it to be." Her tongue dusted over her lips again. "I want to uh." She faded out. He sure as anything got the message. "Keep any open mind." She took him by the collar and led him out of the club, throwing down some money on the bar for their four tequilas. She was a woman on a mission and nothing was going to stop her from what was going to happen at midnight.  
ThE hOtEl  
"So, we're back." Vaughn replied, shutting the door tightly behind him and faced Sydney, who had turned her back to him. "So.."  
  
"Could you unbutton my top? It's killing me..I want to be more comfortable." She spoke over her shoulder, standing perfect straight.  
  
He was like a nervous high school boy, complete with stuttering. "I- uh-sure-uh-uh-ok." *Michael, don't blow this. This could be your chance..your last chance. It's almost 11..you have an hour. *  
  
*Please Vaughn, let's do this. I need this. I need you, right here, right now.* She straightened up and waited for him to unbutton her. It seemed an eternity for this hands to reach her back, slowly releasing each button from its satin casing. As he worked his way down, he ran his fingertips lightly over her exposed spine. It sent the chills up her backbone and caused her breathing to go slow and steady while her heart pounded in her chest. This was better than before in the crawl space. This was the type of adrenaline that was fun and sexy and cool.  
  
She kept her eyes focused ahead at her but as he reached her lower back, the last few buttons, she tilted her head down and to the side slightly, glancing over her shoulder. Finally, the top was threatening to fall, so she brought her arm diagonal across her chest, holding the seam tightly in her hand. Her entire back was exposed and he started to play with invisible shapes on her back...outlining them with his fingertips. She turned around towards him, inching herself closer and closer. Her eyes bounced between his lips and his eyes. He did the same, wanting one kiss from her. That would be all he would need to be at peace. His arms started to go to touch her waist or face or something when two cell phones started to ring.  
  
"Ignore it." She whispered. She couldn't let anything stop her. The hotel phone started to ring. "Ignore it." She repeated, more urgently this time. They inched closer and closer together and he thought death would meet him if he didn't feel her embrace soon but a steady knock came at the door. "Please." She pleaded, almost spitting the words into his mouth. "Don't."  
  
"Portia! Peter! Are you in there?" Jack Bristow's voice echoed through the hall and resounded into the hotel room. "Portia!"  
  
Sydney instantly began to panic and stepped back, her eyes wide with fear. *Oh my G-d! My father's here! He can't see me in this!* She tore away from Vaughn, who was equally as panicked as she was and ducked into the bathroom, practically losing her top in the process. She held it so tightly against her body and started to shake from nervousness. "Answer the door and I'll be out in a minute." She replied as she hopped over to the door, leaving Vaughn completely stunned and wide eyed. Her tongue moved quickly and frantically. He moved over to the door, in a complete state of shock to Jack, standing in a black suit looking more severe than usual. He had been pacing and had raised his hand to slam on the door once more. Vaughn ushered him into the room and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.  
  
"Is Sydney here?" Jack searched the hotel room with his eyes.  
  
"Bathroom. Jack, what's going?" Vaughn stood by the open door, his mouth equally open.  
  
"Sydney Elizabeth Bristow! Get out here now!" He bellowed, slamming his fist against the bathroom door. He turned back to Vaughn and looked more furious than words can describe. "I highly suggest you grab whatever valuables you may have and some comfortable clothes. We're taking you to a safe house."  
  
Vaughn didn't move but just blinked with sheer disbelief. "Wha-wha- what?" He managed not to swallow his tongue.  
  
"Dad, what the hell are you doing here?" Sydney emerged from the bathroom wearing the white sundress from that morning. Her father would not have been too pleased with the black tube top.  
  
"You've been made. We have to get you out of here." Jack avoided their eyes for a moment. "Let's go."  
***The twist is next chapter! You think you know but you have no idea! *** 


	11. Gray

A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! I tried to take some of your advice and make my paragraphs shorter and thanks for the compliments on my French. No, I'm not French, just studied it very hard and some help from a translation website. English is my first language.  
  
ThE sAfEhOuSe  
  
It was already past midnight and Sydney had made her way into the bathroom with her gun, she had quickly thrown into her bag. Her body felt so small and confiding and all she wanted to do was escape her own skin. It was probably the second time in her life that she felt that way. The first was when Danny had died..no, when Danny had been murdered. She had crept out of bed, careful not to wake the peacefully sleeping Vaughn. He looked so peaceful and a charcoal silhouette in the darkness. She hadn't even bothered trying to fall asleep. She was going to sleep for eternity. She moved silently and effortlessly, watching every corner of the room with her eyes.  
  
Their room was not as comfortable as the hotel room. It was cold and foreign. She and Vaughn had been put in the same room, much to her father's dismay, and had barely uttered a word to each since Jack had thrown them into the car and told them of their discovery.  
  
fLaShBaCk  
  
"I don't understand." Sydney had protested from the doorway of the bathroom.  
  
"You've been discovered. SD-6 knows that you're here and has sent the assassins to the hotel to kill you. They are coming here in fifteen minutes. You have to get out here now! I have the car waiting downstairs!" Jack was beyond shouting at this point. He was bellowing complete with the veins popping out from his forehead and his breath becoming slow and very, very angry. "I highly suggest that you put that wig back on your head and pretend you are very much in love with Mr. Vaughn here when we get back downstairs!"  
  
Sydney simply nodded her head, too afraid of what might happen to open her mouth and shut the door again, disappearing back into the bathroom to fix herself up. Loud sudden gasps were heard from the bathroom walls quickly followed by swears and in the quietest voice, a prayer for her friends, family, and herself. Vaughn stood there for one more moment and starred at Jack.  
  
"It's all over for her, isn't it? She can't be Sydney Bristow anymore."  
  
"And you're not longer Michael Vaughn." Jack turned to him and crossed his arms over his chest. "You'll go into-"  
  
"I know the routine." Vaughn replied and started to play with the idea of not being Michael Vaughn anymore. Who would he be? Where would he be sent? Hell, would he survive this assassination attempt..He looked towards the balcony, turning away from Jack and felt his heart plummet into his stomach. "Do you think." His voice was soft and trailed off easily. *You know how I feel for your daughter, Jack. Any moron could figure that out. Sydney has. I'm sure of it.*  
  
"She'll be fine." Jack's voice was soft and almost father like. "She's dealt with worse."  
  
Vaughn sighed, letting it resonate in his chest for a moment only then turning to gather some of their belongings, particularly the bottle of sleeping pills and bourbon. His hands congregated some of their essential belongings, including two guns and their silencers. He grabbed her black bag and a pair of sweatpants for each of them among other essential details. His thoughts were so frantic that he could barely keep control of his shaking hands. He finally stood up and pressed his hands into his knees, head down, attempting to calm himself. His breath was rapid and he was in a full fledged state of sheer panic. Horrible images flashed through his mind. So much had happened within a few short days that it was just beginning to come down on him now.  
  
"Are you ready, Mr. Vaughn?" Jack had been watching him.  
  
"I'm ready." Sydney cut off the answer, fully put together and standing straighter and more defiant than ever. "Let's go." She extended her hand out to Vaughn, who had straightened up at the sound of her voice.  
  
  
  
"Yeah. I'm ready, too." Vaughn took her hand, tightly in his and drew her towards his body. He let go of his tight grasp on her and wrapped his arm around her body, making sure that he had a tight grip on her. Jack simply nodded and turned to go out the door and down to the elevator. He was obviously not too pleased with the fact that a man had his hands on his daughter. She may have been a spy but she was still his daughter, damn it!  
  
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Sydney, I swear." Vaughn said into her hair, closing his eyes against her head. He inhaled her scent of hotel shampoo and tequila. Thank G-d the affects of the alcohol hadn't impaired their judgments too badly. But she still smelled of the club smoke and of sweat.  
  
"And I'm not going to let anything happen, period." Sydney replied reaching up a few inches to hold him in encirclement for just a moment. Her hand rested on his shoulder for a moment longing, giving it a loving squeeze. She straightened and suddenly, every line, every worry, every fear was evident on her face. "I'm so sorry for this." She began to walk a little bit towards the open door and the impatient father.  
  
"Don't be sorry." Vaughn replied, shutting the door tightly and kept the steady embrace on her, feelings as guilty as can be.  
  
  
  
  
  
EnD fLaShBaCk  
  
Sydney starred into the tiny bathroom mirror, unable to stop the tears from plummeting down her face. She was broken and no one in this world could fix her. Look at the state Francie and Will were in. They were a mess. Look at her father, yelling with worry. Look at Vaughn. That was the last straw. She had destroyed Vaughn and if she hadn't already, his fate was looming over the horizon.  
  
They didn't know it but she heard them talking about her entering witness protection. It wasn't an option and quite frankly, she was going to make sure of it. The bluebird may not have fallen at SD-6's hand but she would finish the job. Today, this bird would stop singing.  
  
The gun was cool and hard in her hand and all she needed to do was pull the trigger and this would all be over. Her eyes tore away from a moment to the gray bathroom with a gray porcelain tub with a silver shower curtain and a gray toilet and yes, even a gray sink with a gray floor. Everything was gray. It was like her life. There was no good and evil or black and white anymore. Everything was freaking gray.  
  
Her skin, as her eyes traveled back to the mirror, was developing a grayish tint to it. One gray hair had sprung amidst the brown. It was promptly pulled from its roots and thrown into the gray sink. She didn't even feel the slightest twinge of pain at plucking it. Not even the most minor of pain. Her eyes rested back onto the mirror and all she could think about was different parts of her life.  
  
fLaShBaCk  
  
Laura had busied herself in the kitchen, wrapping herself tightly in the aromas of Christmas. She had brown hair pulled back into a simple ponytail and wore her black apron. Flour, sugar, and eggs were already scattered on the counter of their California house. "Sydney, do you want to bake cookies with me?" She beckoned.  
  
"Yes mommy!" the eager five year old had replied from her play room. She appeared at the kitchen doorway with her Barbie doll in one hand. "Can Barbie help?"  
  
"Of course, baby." Laura walked over to her daughter and scooped her up in her arms. "Does Barbie want chocolate chips or sugar cookies?"  
  
The grin spread over her face with the big brown eyes bouncing back between Barbie and her mother, "Barbie says she wants chocolate chip!"  
  
EnD fLaShBaCk  
  
That's how she had always remembered her mother. As the sweet brown hair and brown eyed mother that smelt of lilacs and sugar cookies. No of the serial killer or the enemy to the United States and the CIA. But Irinia never really loved her, Sydney convinced herself. She wasn't there for the first crush, first date, first heartbreak, first kiss, first application to college, or acceptation to college or there for advice about SD-6 or about Danny or anything. She missed her first day of middle school and high school and college and everything. Irinia had decided to leave her when she was only six years old and she missed the first of everything. Irinia Derevko was not her mother.  
  
And her father was really her father? He had been alive for all those firsts but chose the CIA over her. She could clearly remember her first date with Justin Johnson, the star of the varsity football team and her homecoming date.  
  
fLaShBaCk  
  
"Isn't your dad going to come and see how you look?" Justin stuttered, dressed in his suit and nervously slipping the corsage over Sydney's thin wrist.  
  
Sydney looked up at him and managed to smile tearfully, "He's working." She wore a long red halter top dress with an empire waist. It reached the floor and her hair was pulled up and perfectly curled. This was her first date and it was with an older guy for that matter. She was a sophomore and he a junior. They had been in a study group for A.P. History and she had helped him on a test. Taking her to the Homecoming Dance was repaying the favor because his girlfriend had just dumped him and no guy paid attention to the quiet smart girl in the back of the class. She was invisible to the rest of the world..  
  
"He's working?" Justin repeated, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.  
  
"It doesn't that matter." Sydney turned around and grabbed her little bag, propped up on the couch near the table where her mother's picture sat. 'Good-bye, mom' she whispered so softly that no one could hear her. "I'm already, if you are." She let the smile grace her lips and walked out the front door, arm and arm with Justin.  
  
EnD fLaShBaCk  
  
He hadn't even been there for her first homecoming dance. And Lord knows he hadn't made up for it now. *You know that isn't true. He is trying.* Nope, he was a crappy father. Always trying to keep things just as business. SD-6 or CIA or anything. It didn't matter. He was a crappy ass father. Her eyes looked down at the gun again and her mouth curled into a cynical smile. It was easier to die hating everyone. The world had gone to pot and she was on her way to CIA hell. At least Vaughn would have the opportunity to go to heaven because of it. Oh shit, Vaughn.  
  
fLaShBaCk  
  
They were in the warehouse and it smelt like old must and dust. "You need to trust me." He spoke softly, wearing his black suit and mussed hair.  
  
"I don't trust anyone." She had replied quickly, crossing her arms over her chest in defense. She raised her eyebrows slightly, "You can understand that."  
  
"No, I'm sorry, I can't. We're telling you the truth and if you don't trust the CIA, that's fine. But I need for you to trust me on this. If you don't, you're going to get yourself killed. Agent Bristow-"  
  
She had put her hand up to silence him. Her mind had been made up. "If you want me to trust you, you're going to have to call me Sydney, Agent Vaughn."  
  
"Then you don't need to worry about that Agent stuff with me, either."  
  
"Okay. Vaughn."  
  
"Sydney."  
  
EnD fLaShBaCk  
  
"Okay. Vaughn." She had repeated to the mirror. If she had only known what she was getting herself into, she would have just gotten this over two years ago. The cruel smile spread over her mouth and she came more to the conclusion that this was the only way. Okay, so she didn't get to kiss him. She didn't get to feel his lips pressed against hers but they did get to dance together. He was so warm and so comfortable. At least she got to dance with him. Her eyes shut for a split moment and almost second guessed herself. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She heard a slight noise from another room and Vaughn sighed in his peaceful sleep. No, this was the idea. She brought the cold metal barrel to her temple and slowly started to say a prayer. It was almost all over. 


	12. Two bottles and three minutes

"Don't you want me anymore, Michael?"  
  
"I thought you wanted me, Vaughn."  
  
"Who is going to be, Michael? Me or Rita?"  
  
"We're destined to be together, Vaughn."  
  
"Michael."  
  
"Vaughn."  
  
"It's me Alice."  
  
"C'mon, it's Sydney."  
  
Vaughn awoke a little after midnight with a gasp. He saw both of them standing before him in a white room, both dressed in wedding gowns with their hands stretched out to him. They both wanted him and he couldn't choose, even in his dreams. He felt so guilty about being with Alice and leading Sydney on or following her lead or whatever the hell was going on with him. If she had not beckoned to go to the hotel or her father had barged in, who knows how far it would have gone. He wanted her, sure, but then what would have happened.  
  
He sat up in bed and cradled his head in his hands. He couldn't make a decision and didn't want to have to make one. His decision was already made. He had a date with Destiny. The darkness had swallowed the room and he could barely make out the bed across from the simple four wall room. His green eyes attempted to focused or at the very least, find her black bag. Two bottles and in three minutes, all of this would over.  
  
He sighed softly. Alice. How would she find out about his death? She was probably just be forgotten in the madness of his funeral. She would never know about the star that would be put up in the CIA main building or the funeral with the agents standing near his coffin. His demise was just a few swallows of alcohol and pills away. Three minutes would be all it would take.  
  
His legs stretched out of bed and his feet gripped the matted green carpeting. This safe-house was older than time itself. He fumbled around a little until he stumbled onto the black bag. Silently, he cursed his clumsy actions and prayed that Sydney would stay asleep. He sighed quickly and made his way towards the bathroom door, that was located next to Sydney's bed. He pushed the door open, taking almost a curious state of mind that the light was on. It didn't matter. Three minutes left on this earth.  
  
  
  
  
  
His eyes adjusted to the yellow light and continued to push open the door. He reached down into the bag and pulled out the bottles of pills and Bourbon, rich in its brown color. They were both heavy in his hands and Bourbon bottle was cold and reassuring.  
  
His mother drank Bourbon after his father's death, sitting high in her overstuff floral chair, looking out into their Fleury garden. "Tu connais, Michel, je deteste le CIA. Ils a pris ton pere et je serai damnne si tu serai un agent aussi." You know, Michael, I hate the CIA. They took your father and I will be damned if you are an agent also. He laughed ruefully at his mother's cruel way of predicating the future with her bottle. His mouth began to water at the thought of the bitter drink flooding his mouth and sliding like fire down his throat. There was a glass in there to pour his death into, he was sure of it.  
  
He didn't have to worry about friends' or family's reaction. He had already seen it so many times that it was no shock to him that his mother would be devastated, taking frequent trips across Europe. His friends would be depressed but they would soon get over it. They would feel the emptiness of his desk and chair but as soon as some new recruit out of Langley would come, his memory would become faded, never forgotten but just more ghost like.  
  
He would be with his father in three minutes and a few sleeping pills and about four glass of Bourbon. He laughed rather ruefully. *You proud of me now, Dad? Killing myself to get out of the CIA? Real, real noble.*  
  
He could never expect to see the sight that lay before him. His eyes grew wide however, as he saw Sydney standing there, with the gun to her temple. "Sydney!" He gasped, "What the hell are you doing?" His hand slipped and he at least dropped the bag, that landed on the gray floor with a resounding THUNK. He managed to keep the bottles in his hands as the panic began to rise up again.  
  
Her eyes grew so wide and the familiar panic showed on her face. She cradled the gun in her hands and whipped around. "Vaughn!"  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" He repeated, almost shouting not bothering to think about waking the two other people in the safe house.  
  
fLaShBaCk  
  
"This is home for you until we can think of something a bit more permanent." Jack pushed open the door to a small house outside of Madrid. It was skillfully hidden among beautiful bushes and trees in the small Spanish town. It was quiet and peaceful but the house itself was tiny and uncomfortable. Sydney and Vaughn silently filed inside, becoming aware of their surroundings.  
  
Their eyes were focused on the ground, feeling like children being pushed off to nursery school for the first time. The front door opened to a living room with a couch, TV, and fireplace with a kitchen to the back and two sets of doors on either side leading to two bedroom and off of the master room, the one bath. Everything was worn and old. On the dilapidated couch, were two old friends talking about nonsense.  
  
"Francie! Will!" Sydney cried and ran to them, immediately starting to get choked up and kneeling before them. The carpet was hard beneath her knees but all she cared about was holding her friends in her arms. "Oh my G-d! You're okay!" She kissed both of them on the cheek and buried her head between the two them. Sobs escaped her mouth as she tried to hold on to them as though they would disappear of the face of the earth tomorrow. "I didn't know if you would be okay! I thought that maybe..maybe." She sobbed harder than ever before. Everything was finally hitting her and so unreasonable to death with.  
  
Vaughn watched helpless from the door as the three old friends helpless sobbed onto each other and never let go of each other.  
  
"Let them be for a moment." Jack replied and motioned for Vaughn to go to the kitchen. "Why don't you eat something or do something with yourself?" It was his best, if not shabby, attempt to be a father figure. "They'll be like that for a while. Especially the girls." He turned on his heels and said, with his back to the house, "I'm going back to the warehouse. An agent will be back to check on your status later. Good- night." His words fell on deaf ears as Vaughn found the empty bedroom and sat down.  
  
"You don't know how I've been worried about you!" Sydney settled between Will and Francie and cradled them in her arms. "Francie, how are you?"  
  
"I'm doing okay. Your Dr. Barnett said I'm gonna be fine. Will too." She had a sober look on her face and held Sydney's face in her now aged hands. "We've been worried sick." Sydney put her hands on top of Francie's and continued to sob. Will wrapped his arms around Sydney's waist and pulled her back to lay across his chest. She obeyed and loved the feeling of her friends' beings.  
  
"Well, I'm here now." Sydney replied, wiping the tears from her eyes vainly.  
  
Vaughn stood there, watching her. He tried to soak in her beautiful and memorize every feature of her. They say you can't take anything with you but he wanted to take the memory of her with him. It he willed it, maybe it would happen. If there was a G-d, he would let him watch over Sydney and really be her guardian angel.  
  
EnD fLaShBaCk  
  
  
  
  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Vaughn repeated, stepping slowly towards Sydney with his hands up defensively.  
  
"Nothing." She lied.  
  
"Like hell nothing. You have a gun to your head! Sydney, were you going to kill yourself? Whoa! Don't answer that. Drop the gun. Sydney, drop the gun." She wouldn't obey. "Damn it, Sydney, drop the gun!"  
  
"I won't. This needs to end now. This life. I can't take it anymore and it's going to end right now." She turned back towards the mirror and closed her eyes. Her answer was smug but she needed to get this over with. Oh, bad choice of words. She needed to end it.  
  
"Sydney! Drop the gun!" He shouted at her, ignoring the fact that he had awoken the two other inhabitants of the house. "Drop the damn gun!"  
  
"No." She inhaled deeply and went to squeeze the trigger when she felt two strong hands, one on her arm holding the gun, the other around her waist. He brought her arm to her side, shaking violently. He easily pried the gun from her hand and threw it behind him. It landed and made a clanging noise against the aged ceramic tiles. He was suddenly so intent on calming her, he didn't even hear the front door open or the person enter.  
  
Slowly, he turned her around to face him, holding her face in his hands. It was only then that she noticed the broken bottle of Bourbon and the open bottles of sleeping pills scattered among the alcohol. The glass sparkled in the harsh lighting and the Bourbon made it sparkle that much more. "What the hell were you going to do?"  
  
"Nothing." He replied, holding her to his body and attempted to comfort her.  
  
She pulled away and looked him angrily. "You were going to do the same thing I was. You were going to-"  
  
"End the cycle." He finished, reading her like a book and began to sit down next to the bathtub. She followed suit and sat next to him, watching the drink spread slowly over the tiles.  
  
"Pills and Bourbon?"  
  
"Yeah." A sheepish reply came quickly. "A gun with a silencer?"  
  
"Yeah." Her sheepish reply came slowly.  
  
"What are we going to do?" He started to sink to the ground and they sat there, the agent and the handler, wrapped up in each other.  
  
"I thought," she finally spoke, "I would be saving you." Her words were broken with sobs. She didn't even realize she had started to cry. It was second nature to her now. She was tired of tucking everything away that she couldn't do it anymore.  
  
What felt like hours had past since he found her and now, they laid against the bathtub, trying to sooth each and both their faces streaked with fallen tears.  
  
"And I was trying to save you."  
  
"What are you we going to do with us?" She almost laughed. Finally she straightened up and looked at him. "Are we destined to be like them?"  
  
Vaughn swallowed hard and refused to look at her for a moment. "I don't know."  
  
"What do you really think?" She pressed him, knowing how she felt about the whole situation but maybe, Vaughn could snap her out of this or something.  
  
"Maybe.if we will it not to happen..it won't happen. We'll take control of our destiny. What do you think?"  
  
"We'll see." Said a voice at the door causing the two agents' heads to spin towards the door and their eyes to grow wide. Sydney held her breath and tried to jump to feet but it was too late. Vaughn's heart began to pound loudly in his chest and he barely bent his knees before it was too late. Two shots rang out through the house and their worlds went black. 


	13. It's Over

A/N: Thanks so much for all of the review! We're almost at the end of the story and this chapter is full of a twist I think one or two of you may have been guessing at all along. But hint: you think you know but you have no idea! So please, read and review. I take both good and bad cuz I want to make the last couple of chapters (I think there are two more after this one) the best ones!  
  
He felt something rushing through his veins and a steady prick in his right arm. "Were you awake or did I wake you?" a soft voice pierced through Vaughn's sleepy world. He felt like he had been asleep for days, months even. He knew something was wrong before he even opened his eyes. Everything was black and cold. And as he opened his eyes, he wasn't even sure if he eyes had opened, so he immediately shut them again. That's how dark it was in the room. "Ah, let me turn on the light." The soft voice faded away and feminine footsteps started, faded away, and then came closer.  
  
His body was numb and shaking from the extreme cold his body felt. He opened up his mouth to answer the soothing voice but his trembling body wouldn't allow him. His eyes slowly opened but they were blurry and completely unable to focus. "Mr. Vaughn? Mr. Vaughn?" She had a heavy French accent and her voice seemed so tender  
  
"I-I-I'm up." He managed to shiver, slowly opening his emerald eyes again to the bare room before him. "Syd..Syd..is that you?" He licked his lips, chapped from the severe cold.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Vaughn, I'm not Sydney." The soft voice came again. "You should eat something."  
  
He had failed at his promise. He had let something happen to her. His eyes began to fill with fear. "Where-where is she?" His eyes slowly focused on the dark room with only one lamp light coming from the corner. He quickly assumed that she had gotten up to turn the lamp on. Two and two were slowly beginning to equal four, not three and a half.  
  
"She's in the next room, Mr. Vaughn." He finally could put a face with the voice. He could finally make out the woman who was speaking to him, dressed in a white dress with a black heavy sweater wrapped tightly around her. Her voice shivered with the cold.  
  
She had black curly hair that was pulled back into a simple twist. "And she's fine, for now. You should eat something. She wants you too keep your strength up." The woman sat in front of Vaughn, who was chained to a wall by heavy restraints on his arms and legs. He had blood dripping down the side of his mouth and on his exposed arm, a small indentation. It was the mark of a tranq. dart. His eyes drifted down to his right arm. There were old and fresh track marks and a collection of needles on the ground. The soft spoken woman took a spoonful of the food she held in her hands and offered it to him.  
  
Vaughn replied coldly, "I'm not hungry.  
  
She nodded and put the food back down. Her eyes were sorrowful and she got up to walk out.  
  
"Wait. I have a question for you. Where am I?"  
  
The answer obviously pained the young woman very much. "You are a capture of Ms. Sophia Delorme."  
  
"Delorme..? That was.." He couldn't complete the sentence. "Who do you work for?" He tried to get more comfortable but it was impossible. He was bound to an aluminum chair, that was hard and uncomfortable. This had to be another Delorme. He couldn't be who he was thinking of. It couldn't be. It couldn't. Everything was blocked out of his mind except for that name, repeated over and over again.  
  
"You can ask my boss anymore questions." She got up and left in tears. And Vaughn had no idea why.  
  
"Wait. Your boss? I thought Sloane was the boss." Hadn't Sloane found them and captured them? Hadn't SD-6 discovered his bluebird and captured him for being part of her circle of deceit?  
  
"Yes. Yes, but he is not the supreme boss. I shall get his boss." Her feet sounded soft against the hard wood floors. "Madame Delorme, he is awake."  
  
"D'accord." A familiar voice replied, "Run along with you now. I need to see him, alone."  
  
A dark shadow appeared on the corner wall and turned the corner. He watched a woman walk in. He felt his eyes get wide as she stood in front of him.  
  
"Maman?" Vaughn gasped as the woman stepped into the light, exposing her familiar face and figure.  
  
She stood in front of Vaughn and looked at him with a motherly stare. "You must have known this day would come. I could have prevented all of this, of course. You were so small when you born. It would have been so easy." Her accented voice hissed among Vaughn's heavy breathing. "I've waited nearly thirty years for this. Tell me... Michael... who sent you here? You must tell me."  
  
"Or? What? I'm grounded?" He managed to spit in her face. His heart was pounding so hard in his ears that he could barely hear his own response to his mother's question.  
  
"No.I will hurt your precious little girl." Her French accent managed to hiss such evil words.  
  
It took him a moment to figure out who the little girl was. It was Sydney. It had to be Sydney. "No, maman..what's going on? What are you doing here?" He didn't understand this at all. "Maman.what's going on? You're not hear to do anything..Maman?"  
  
She walked closer to him and he could clearly depict her floor length black skirt and wool sweater. Her skin had the familiar blue tint to it from cold. He half expected for it to start snowing from the ceiling any moment now. "You're CIA, aren't you? You really did join the agency? You're not with the state department at all. I'm willing to assume you're not a field agent. You don't look like one. Your reflexes are too, too slow. You're a handler aren't you? And this girl, she's your agent. Ha. You fell for your agent! Damn protocol, I guess. You are not your father's child. You're CIA, aren't you?"  
  
He was in such a state of shock he couldn't will his tongue to respond.  
  
"You're CIA." She answered for him, carefully admiring her little tool in her hand. "And you're little girlfriend too."  
  
"What have you done to Sydney? Where is she?" He started to panic. Not for his future but what was going to happen to Sydney. "Where is she, maman?"  
  
"Don't 'maman' me, Michael! I haven't hurt your little girlfriend too badly. I wanted to wait until you were awake to start the real fun and games." She smiled cynically and turned away from her worried son. "Bring her to me!" Her words echoed throughout the room that was like the warehouse. The walls were cement or some other heavy material and there were no windows but overhead lights that were currently off. There was another series of hard leather and metal restraints on the wall opposite and next to him. There was a door on the wall to the left of him.  
  
"What are you going to do with her? What have you done to her?"  
  
She looked back towards her son and clicked her tongue. "My darling. My little naïve darling. Maybe you are your father's child after all! He was so naïve and blinded by love. By the Bristow women's love. It blinds and then it kills or better yet, I make sure it kills." She smiled again as she watched this register on her son's face.  
  
The thoughts hit him like a cement truck and engulfed him like a crashing wave. "You made sure Irinia killed Dad." His tone was soft and surprisingly steady. He needed to shut down and soon. "That's why you knew the story."  
  
"You were always the bright one in the family, weren't you?" sarcasm oozed from her poison lips. The woman from before along with another blonde hair woman wheeled the bed in from another room with two women in toe. It squeaked and moved slowly against the wood. The wheels were obviously rusted. The gurney was brought into view with a lifeless female bound loosely to it. "She is a pretty one and it's a shame that you fell for her. I've always preferred Alice." Sydney was there, looking like Sleeping Beauty. His skin was paler than ever and her breath formed little ice clouds above her rose petal lips. Her arm had the similar track marks on it.  
  
"Don't hurt her." His cries began but shrouded by Sophia's instructions to her three other guards or servants or whatever you want to call them.  
  
"Get me the Bourbon." She ordered one, "Chain him to wall." Was it to another, "Get some new sheets. We're going to need them." She turned back towards Vaughn. "We're going to need them. Who do you work for?" No answer. "Tell you what -- think about it. I'll come back and ask you again." She whisked away with her female henchwomen and disappeared into the other room.  
  
This was too much for him to bear. He had been stripped of his shirt and now he the heavy leather and metal chains made large gashes in his limbs. He blacked out every now and then. Whatever they had been pumping into his arm made him weak and dizzy and unsure. This was it. His mother was going to kill him. G-d, could things get any more freaking screwed up?  
His eyes focused on the gurney in front of him. He knew it was Sydney and she was barely conscious, moaning a little bit with each shallow breath. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips. He tried to pull against it wall, to get closer to her but.. but his body was suddenly sore and couldn't move. The darkness clouded his senses and his senses were dulled with it.  
  
Sydney's eyes fluttered quickly as she tried to focus on the figure strapped the wall near her. She had to take a gamble and guess who it was, "Vaughn.?" Her voice was groggy and raspy. All she could do was gasp for air and pray that he would answer. Things had been so horrible for her the last few.were it days now? She had been pumped full of chemicals and toxins and electrocuted to no end. Now, this woman had switched her into this new, warmer room with Vaughn in it. She could have sworn this devil woman had killed him. In her disillusioned world, she had learned that this was the one woman the Alliance was afraid of.  
  
"Oh Syd." He groaned and had never been more relieved to hear her voice. "You're awake. I was so worried." His voice sounded sincere but wavering. Sydney didn't hear what else he said..she began to cough violently, causing the chains on her body to jingle in an ominous tone. The horrible noise sent a chill up his spine that caused his restraints to shake.  
  
"What happened?" She was afraid to ask. Her body shifted slightly and she could rest easier against the wall. Her body ached with severe pain that grew more and more intense with each slight inhale.  
  
Vaughn gasped for air a little before he spoke again, "We were discovered in the safe house and then we were taken here. Are you okay? They haven't hurt you, have they?" He whispered.  
  
"Yeah." Gasp. "They've been..she's been.." A bright light was flickered on and it blinded them. Their eyes shut immediately and his body tried to brace himself. The muscles tightened all along his arms and his legs. His fight or flight reflex kicked into high gear. Sydney was too weak to do anything..instead; she let out a shudder followed by a moan of dread. "Oh G-d." It was going to happen all over again. The toxins, the shock treatments, the screaming..she wanted to cry but she didn't have enough tears left.  
  
"Is that too bright?" A cold voice forced Vaughn to open his eyes and stare at him.  
  
"Sophia?" He wanted to bark but it came out more like a whimper. He wanted to go back in time more than anything else in the world. She was no longer his mother. She was just as much as a bitch as Sloane was.  
  
She ignored her son and looked straight at the object of his affection. "My dear Sydney, I am so pleased you're awake." Her voice was revolting. "And my dear son, Michael Vaughn, are you feeling well today?" He came towards them, brandishing a new torture weapon in her fists. Her beady eyes settled on Sydney and he clicked his tongue softly, "Pity. You were a wonderful best agent. I followed your work closely. Arvin praised you every time we met."  
  
The weapon was brought up to eye level. It looked like a long metal pole with little sharp grooves in it. Silence filled as Sophia took a breath, "Well Sydney, I fear that you are already on the bed. You shall be first." She said, in a partially remorseful tone. She quickly turned the material of her black skirt made whoosh sound. "Tie her down."  
  
One guard came towards Sydney and unlocked her wrist and legs from their tight restraints. She tried not to groan as the women grabbed her by the wrists, with visible sores and gashes on them and rebound them tighter to the sides of the bed with hard restraints. She started to shake and her eyes and her head looked at Vaughn. The tension on the sores had become unbearable and she became to slip from reality. "Daddy went to Kalamazoo. Daddy went to Kalamazoo." She began to sing up and down to a fifth. Each syllable became one note, going up to the fifth note in the scale and came down. She was shutting down, mentally.  
  
SD-6 had taught her that when she was tortured, to go back to something that was drilled into her brain as a children and was easy to focus on. She was trying not to psyche herself out. "Daddy." she started to go over and over again but her tongue stopped moving. Her body was turning against her in such a way that she could barely fight the two women rebounding her limbs to a long table in the center of the torture room. Her brown eyes were fogged over and her face was drawn and pale.  
  
She looked at him and tears began to fall, soaking the metal table beneath her exposed shoulders. They both had been stripped down, only wearing bare minimum clothing and exposed to the elements. He only wore a pair of boxers and she wore a badly torn tank-top and ripped boxer shorts. The tears formed a sad little pool by her shoulder and slowly, her chest was stopping..stopping moving up and down. "Vaughn." She breathed, letting more tears shed, "It's over."  
  
"It's not over." He spoke softly to her "Don't hurt her!" Vaughn found himself saying, throwing his body weight against the chains. "Please, I'll do anything!"  
  
"It's too late for that, Michael." Sophia showed her teeth towards him. Her feet glided her towards Sophia with the tool in her small elegant but deadly hands. Her lips curled into a smile and then starred down at Sophia. "It's too bad," she started, "you two looked so destined together lying on that safe house floor. It's a pity. She would have made a wonderful daughter-in-law."  
  
Vaughn couldn't cry now. He was out of emotions but instead started to talk in a slow, steady tone, "Why are you doing this?" He let his eyes meet that of his mother's. This couldn't be a reality. His mother couldn't be evil. She was the loving one who comforted him and Juliet after their father's death. This couldn't be reality.  
  
"Because she was in love with you. Because she was CIA. Because she was in love with." She snapped hastily.  
  
"She is in love with me."  
  
"Not when I'm done with her she won't be." Sophia knelt over the body, examining her calves and slowly took the tool, turning it over in her hands. She pressed the tool to Sydney's legs, making a dozen perfect circles of oozing blood on her legs. She continued to roll the tool along her legs, expelling a red color over Sydney's white skin. Her leg was soon covered in blood. Sydney's eyes had clouded over even more. She was giving up. Her body was covered with gashes, bruises, and far worst than third degree burns. Her body was being destroyed and the last thing was her mind. If she just let go.  
  
The first series of cuts were made over her feet. She began to scream in terrified pain, attempting to wriggle free but her screams only made Sophia more eager to finish the enjoyable job. Her screams were those that would haunt him in his dreams and wake him from the most peaceful sleep. This is what nightmares are made from. Sydney's other leg; the one closer to Vaughn was next. Blood began to ooze from every fiber of her being. Her body began to tremble and the screaming grew weaker. She didn't even attempt to fight against the chains anymore and all Vaughn could do was watch in horror as the guard was right there expelling large amounts of blood from his love's perfect skin.  
  
"Don't let go, Sydney. Please, for me. For your mother, your father. For Jack, for Irinia. For..for Will, Francie. Baby, for me!" Vaughn started to plead to her but tears began to soak through his words. "Don't let go. Please, Sydney. Sydney. Don't kill her! Please! Sydney! C'mon baby, don't give up. Don't give up on me!" Vaughn screamed as he fought against the chains binding him. They grew tighter and tighter as she fought. The second guard stood off to the side of him and touched his forehead, mockingly. She smiled a revolting smile.  
  
"She's already lost so much blood, Michael." The woman, he thought was his mother hissed in between Sydney's ear piercing screams.  
  
Sydney's screams became louder and louder, overriding Vaughn's until hers stopped. He had never seen such a red color before. That color red wasn't found anywhere else. Shock overwhelmed him for a few moments and she fought to think clearly. "He calmed his speech a little bit. "Hey. Don't give up on me, baby. Come on. Open your eyes honey. Come on. Please. Please, open your eyes. Hey, c'mon sweetheart. Hey, we just talked each other out of dying. Don't go back on your word now. Remember baby, pills and Bourbon? A gun with a silencer? C'mon, don't give up on me. What are you we going to do with us? I think if we will it not to happen, we can take control of our destiny."  
  
Sydney perked up for a moment and turned her head towards Vaughn, "Save my destiny." She managed to whisper. Her brown eyes had rolled back into her head and her chest was no longer moving up and down. "Please! Vaughn! Vaughn!" She sobbed and felt her blood leaving her body at a dangerous rate.  
  
"Bourbon." Sophia tossed the bloody tool aside and it landed on the floor with a resounding clunk.  
  
One of the evil looking women handed her the large bottle. Sophia smiled and took the bottle in her hands. "Pills and Bourbon? That's how you were going to kill yourself?"  
  
"What does it matter to you?" Vaughn snapped.  
  
She took a long, slow sip. "Sydney's going to hate Bourbon after this." She removed the bottle from her mouth and walked over to Vaughn. She walked straight up to Vaughn and offered him a sip. He just starred straight ahead and barely blinked. "Yes? No? Oh well. You know," She turned back to walk towards Sydney, "your father loved Bourbon. Every night, he had a glass." She sighed, as she remembered easier times, "loved the crap. Now," she reached Sydney's legs and sighed once more, "you love it too? Too bad you won't after this." and poured it over Sydney's multiple gashes. She screamed in absolute horror and pain. Sophia took another long sip and looked at the black hair woman, "Start on him!"  
  
The black hair woman took the tool, carefully discarded tool and started to work on Vaughn's arms and legs. He barely felt the pain in his legs. It started on his feet and reached his knee. All he cared about was Sydney surviving. It didn't matter if he wasn't there to see her survive. He didn't care anymore. Sydney's chest was moving painfully slow up and down. He finally began to feel the pain in his legs reach his knees. Blood was everywhere but his seemed more tainted than hers. Her blood was perfect but it didn't matter.  
  
It was over.  
  
And just when they thought it was over, a sudden commotion came from the door. Guns were drawn and a group of tough, well trained men started to shout orders. Vaughn shut his eyes and prayed for the end and Sydney finally started to let go.  
  
It was over. 


	14. Tres Importante!

Quick Authors Note..  
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I love reading them and I take what they say seriously! I'm sorry for the grammatical errors.I'll try to be more careful but hey, I'm trying. I only have a few more chapters left in this one and it's been the most fun to write. I did get the idea for chapter 13 from the season premiere.actually; some of the dialogue is straight from it. The black hair woman was like Khassianu and obviously Vaughn was like Sydney and Sophia, Irinia.  
  
There's one last twist I've thrown into the works that has to do with some background info in the early chapters. Hint: reread Erase and Rewind..some of Irinia's story comes back and plays an important role in 14. I know it seems like this hasn't been much of a romance and I promised major Sydney and Vaughn but I promise, promise, promise it will all come together in the end.  
  
Everything will make sense, including Francie being in shock in the beginning, why Vaughn's mother's name kept changing (hint: Irinia said it was Nanette, Vaughn said it was Felicity and in chapter 13, her name was Sophia.) and Vaughn's initial thoughts on Sydney and Alice. Oh! And Sydney's jealousy thing in chapter 4 over Anne Marie. Keep all of this in mine when reading the last few chapters!  
  
Thank you so much for review again and promises for better grammar and more twists!  
  
~Wishing Star 


	15. At Death's Door

"Drop your weapons! Hands on your head! On your knees!" A loud clamoring came through the door headed by two familiar faces. They brandished their guns and brought each woman to her knees. Sophia's eyes filled with hatred and responded slowly. She was clearly annoyed with it but didn't bother to fight back. She even had the tenacity to yawn as one agent handcuffed her.  
  
"Hello boys." She tilted her head to the side and looked quite bored. "We meet again."  
  
"Shut up!" One agent shouted, knocking her out with his gun. "Slut." He hissed underneath his breath and dragged her out of the building.  
  
In a mere thirty seconds, a team of twenty CIA agents dressed head to toe in black combat gear, had invaded the building and had all of the women, including Sophia, in US custody. They were promptly hand cuffed and one by one, forced outside of the cold building to the van, waiting outside.  
  
One man caught Sydney's eye and maybe all was not lost. "Daddy?" Sydney managed to gasp before she fainted away from the world. Her body wanted to reach out to him but there wasn't enough energy in her frail frame to do so.  
  
Jack Bristow was one of those CIA men and was the senior in charge. He shouted orders to the men and told them what to do with their bitchy captives. His eyes quickly searched the room and rested on the gurney. "Sydney!" Jack gasped, dropping his gun by his side and ran to his daughter, who had turned pale and was clearly dying. "Sydney." His hands ran over her forehead and his eyes glanced over body, surveying the damage done to her.  
  
He took his knife from his black pants pocket and cutting the restraints. She didn't even move or make any notice that anything had happened. "G-d Sydney. What did she do to you?"  
  
Vaughn had heard everything that was going on, heard the swears in French by the black hair woman that was torturing as she was carried way, heard the yells of the CIA officers, heard Sydney's cry to her father. They were going to be free. "Is-is she breathing?" Vaughn managed to gasp. He tried to lift his head to see more clearly but the toxins in his system had clearly taken control. His eyes were glued shut and he hung limp against the wall. The contusions on his face were beginning to swell and with it, his eyes swelled shut.  
  
Jack looked up from his daughter's leg, bleeding profusely and starred at the man chained to the wall. "Agent Vaughn?" He couldn't believe it. Vaughn had always looked so strong and here he was broken and chained to the wall. His blood started to run cold as he saw the red liquid expelling itself in the same manner from Vaughn's leg as it was Sydney's.  
  
There wasn't enough time for formalities. He felt his life slipping away from him. His seconds were flying past him. "Screw that Agent crap, Jack. Is she breathing?" His body was finally going and with his last breath, he needed to know if she was breathing. He wasn't going to die as a CIA agent but as a man asking about the woman he loved. "Is she breathing?" Before he could hear an answer, his body erupted in heavy coughing and started to shake. "I need to know before."his cough took over again. *Before I die, I need to know if I'm going to see her on the other side.*  
  
Jack leaned over his daughter, feeling the light icy breath on his cheek. "She's breathing, Vaughn. Barely but she is." He replied and lifted her up into his arms. Her brown eyes had rolled back into her head and she shook from shock. "We need to get you both medical attention." He took a long look at Vaughn and adjusted his daughter in his arms. She was so light and sickly feeling.  
  
*No shit Jack. Looks like I really am going to be Syd's guardian angel.* Vaughn thought cynically.  
  
"Agent Weiss," Jack beckoned to the nearby agent without bothering to turn to look at him, "Get Vaughn and get to the van."  
  
Weiss came forward among the agents and nodded to Jack. "I'll meet you in the van." Weiss walked towards Vaughn and started to cut him free. "Hey man." No reply. "Mike? It's Eric. C'mon, you there?" Vaughn's eyes were still shut and he was unresponsive. He had shut down mentally and needed a lot of help to be pulled from his state. Weiss worked at the restraints for a few minutes, worry lines took over his face for his dear friend, "We're almost there, man." And with that, Vaughn was set free from his tight bondage and promptly collapsed. "Looks like I'm gonna have to help you outta here." Weiss motioned for another agent to help him. "I'm gonna need some help here. I ain't in the best of shape."  
  
Vaughn didn't even react to the cold cement on the ground under his cut feet but somehow, Lord knows how, he managed to gasp, "Looks like it."  
Weiss started to help Vaughn to his feet but stood up and looked around. "Hey you! New kid! Come help with Agent Vaughn!"  
  
The young recruit's eyes got wide for a moment and practically skipped over. "How do you do sir? I'm Agent Anderson." The new recruit said, taking Vaughn's other arm and allowing him to put weight on him. He followed Weiss's example and took his other arm and looped it under Vaughn's leg, carrying him out of the door.  
  
"He doesn't give a crap who you are, Anderson. He just wants to get to the hospital. Right, Mike?"  
  
"Don't give a damn." And started to cough again. Blood erupted from his mouth and he knew that something was seriously wrong with him by Weiss's suppressed groans and worried comments to the nearby agents. Something about getting the medics and some IV's..  
  
Weiss knew he had to keep his mind of off his failing body. "So, since you've been gone, a lot's happened. I mean a lot."  
  
Vaughn started to cough again and kept his eyes shut but due to some miracle, he started to snap out of it. "Who are you dating now?"  
  
Weiss laughed a little. "Now, now Mikey. Truth takes time and it's a long time to Our Lady of Heaven Hospital." He adjusted Vaughn's weight against his shoulder and step by step, he brought his best friend out from Death's Door.  
  
"Where's Sydney?" Vaughn asked after the silence of making his way across the room. Each breath was more painful than the last and the only thing that kept him going was Weiss' promises of see Sydney and painkillers.  
  
"She's being put in the van. I'll put ya down right next to her. Don't worry, man. Just relax. Nothing's gonna happen to either one of you. You're my best friend and I'll be damned if some bitch takes you away from me."  
  
Vaughn coughed hard again and started to shake from hypothermia. "That bitch was my mother." He managed to utter. The words burned in his mouth and fell like acid rain.  
  
Weiss's eyes grew wide for moment as he repeated the words that Vaughn said. Anderson was too disgusted by the condition of Vaughn to react to anything that was going on. He kept his eyes focused on the area in front of him, trying not to look at the track marks or the blood dripping down his arm and hadn't heard a thing Vaughn had said.  
  
They reached the doorway and it was light out. The sun had risen over the Normandy horizon and its pure light flooded the Central Intelligence vans. The daylight had barely broken outside but everything seemed calm and peaceful. It was a needed day of rest and calmness for him. It was beautiful and it was nothing less than euphoric.  
  
"Yup." Vaughn whispered trying to open his eyes against the landscape. His entire world was pitch black and filled with strange voices telling him how lucky he was or that he was being taken to the hospital or worry shouts over Sydney..she lost so much blood and he was too. .  
  
Weiss and Anderson took Vaughn and carefully laid him down in the van, next to Sydney, who had just been laid down on the back of the van. As his eyes had slowly opened by some miracle and slowly adjusted to the black interior of the van. There were agents swarming about him and there were medical supplies everywhere. He looked at Sydney, who lay so peacefully on her back. Her legs were already beginning to be covered in gauze. But the gauze was already the greatest shade of red he had ever seen. His eyes trailed down to his own leg that was bleeding heavily. One of the agents was attempting to wrap his leg but it was bleeding just as badly as Sydney's. Red was now his least favorite color.  
  
An agent stepped into the black van and went to Sydney first. She had not uttered a word since her father had picked her up. The gentle agent threw on a pair of gloves and found a fresh vein to start an IV. At the prick of the needle, Sydney was brought from her comatose state by screaming, "Please, please! No more drugs! What do you want from me? I told you! I don't know where Sloane is! Why won't you believe me? Please, anything but the drugs!"  
  
"Sydney..it's okay. We're trying to help you, sweetheart." Jack stroked her head lovingly. "Shhh."  
  
"No!" She shouted with all her energy. In her mind, she was still on the gurney in the little torture room. "Please," she began to sob, "no more."  
  
Jack's heart was now broken. His little girl was clearly destroyed and was going to need serious rehabilitation if she ever wanted to survive this incident. His hands continued to stroke her head as he sat at the head of the little make-shift bed while another agent drove. All of the women from the torture room had been taken in another van and were being watched by another dozen agents. They had brought 24 men into the facility and all had returned, safely. Even Sydney and Vaughn had been returned, in one piece, so to speak.  
  
"Syd..it's okay." Vaughn slurred and reached out to touch her before his body suddenly gave in on him. Another agent, probably a doctor or something, started a line in his left arm and started to give Vaughn blood and antibiotics. He faded out slightly and shut his eyes more tightly than before.  
  
"G-d! He's seizing!" One agent cried as Vaughn's body started to shake uncontrollably.  
  
"Five of ativan! IV push! C'mon, Vaughn. Don't you dare give up on me!" Agent Craig shouted to the other agents. He was a doctor and was the head medic for the rescue. His demands were shouted at the other agents, also trained in medicine. They ruffled through their black bags for the medication to stop the seizure. "What did they do to you?" Vaughn and Craig had met each other during another op and had developed a friendship.  
Jack sat back against the black fabric seat and had an absolute stunned look on his face. "Don't let him die." He managed to speak at last. "It would be the end of Sydney." He spoke softly. No one bothered to listen to what he was saying. They were too busy intubating him.putting a tube in his throat to help him breath. "He means the world to Sydney." Jack ran his hands over his face and looked back at Sydney, who already had an oxygen mask on and had so many tubes and wires coming from her body. "And don't let my baby go."  
  
The medics continued to work on Vaughn and Sydney, alternating who was in the most critical condition. Sydney had lost the most blood but Vaughn had been pumped with the most chemicals. She had been electrocuted and tortured but Vaughn had been tortured in a different way. Little things like cigarette burns, turning violent shades of violet lined his arms and feet. He was suffering from hypothermia, accounting for the blue tinge to his skin and his body and had severe frostbite on his feet. His face had been severely beaten, turning brilliant shades of black, blue, yellow and green. Every inch of him was swollen and his track marks were growing the signs of infection.  
  
Sydney had perfect moon shaped burn marks lining her chest and stomach. She too had been beaten and the soles of her feet had been cut with razor and those abrasions had already started to become infection. She was severely dehydrated and suffered malnutrition. They had been captives for almost a week now and she had not received a drop of food or water. If they had not been found when they did, death was waiting at the doorstep for both of them..  
"Don't hurt me! Please, stay away!" Sydney started to shriek from her safe hospital bed.  
  
Jack jumped to his feet from the chair he had fallen asleep in and rushed to his daughter's side. He ran his hand over her forehead, trying to sooth her from her savage dreams. "Sweetie, it's me, Daddy. It's time to open your eyes. It's okay. There's no one here to hurt you. It's okay, sweetie. It's okay." He sat on her bed and held her hand tightly within his. "It's okay." Her hands were so cold and she seemed so far away. "Come back home, sweetie." She was lost and afraid and no one could bring her back. She was gone and he had to get her back, somehow.  
  
Her eyes shot open and she start to gasp from breath. Her body shot up a little and she was terrified. "Stay away from me, Sophia!" She shouted into her private hotel suite. It smelled horribly of that hospital smell that attacks you as soon as you enter the building. It was sterile but at the same time, it was warmer and more inviting than the prison cell that she had been accustomed to for a week.  
  
"Sydney, it's okay! She's not here to hurt you anymore." Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and started again to comfort her. He slowly eased her back down onto the soft pillow and pressed her to stay there.  
  
"Daddy?" She felt so helpless. "Are you really there?" She reached for him, seeing the IV in her arm and began to panic more.  
  
"And I'm not going anywhere." Jack sat there in the most father like role to date. This was his little girl and she was clearly falling apart at the seams. His large hands surrounded hers and he kissed her forehead. "I'm going to stay with you until you get better."  
  
"Where's Vaughn?" She asked, sitting up a little more in her bed. Gone were her tattered clothes and replaced with a sterile hospital gown and fresh gauze dressings on her legs. Her legs had been bandaged at an angle and she could not straighten her legs if she tried. Parts of the dressings had been soaked through with antibiotic cream and others had been soaked through with blood.  
  
Her hospital room had two large chairs and the traditional hospital settings but there were three bouquets of fresh roses adorning shelves and tables. Compliments of Will, Francie, and the CIA. Antibiotics, blood, and saline hung on her IV and slowly poured into her veins. Her body was blissfully numb with painkillers.  
  
"He's in another room." Jack replied simply, rising to his feet. "I should go get the doctor and tell them you're awake."  
  
She reached for and grabbed him, "Don't leave me! I need you to stay."  
  
He nodded and sat back down. "I understand."  
  
She shook her head, trying to clear her foggy head. The marvelous painkillers also clouded her thought train. Her strawberry tongue went to lick her lips but found them swollen and chapped. Her brow creased in concern for her body and managed to ask, "What happened?"  
  
Jack ran his thumb over her hand, soothing her as he spoke softly, trying not to speak in a business tone, "I don't know how but you were discovered at the hotel and I brought-"  
  
She waved for him to stop with her free hand, clearly frustrated with him. "I know that part. What happened at the safe house? Will and Francie?" The panic rose in her throat.  
  
Jack sighed and smiled a little, "They're fine. They weren't even disturbed during this whole incident. We brought them back home and put them in the Joint Task Force. Now your situation. You. You were discovered at the safe house and this woman claiming to be Sophia Vaughn-"  
  
"Claiming to be?" This woman was clearly Vaughn's mother. She knew everything and anything about Vaughn.  
  
"She was not Sophia Vaughn." Jack's voice was firm and stern, "That woman was Ophelia Hart. She used a new cloning technique to impersonate Agent Vaughn's mother. It would make him more susceptible. Anyway, she and her following brought you to her lab and tried to get information out of you. She is the one the Alliance answers to. She inherited it from her father, the creator the Alliance of 12. She wanted to know where Sloane was. He disappeared shortly after your discovery. I do not know what is going. Arvin had not told me anything-"A cell phone cut off his conversation. He turned away from a moment, leaving Sydney alone with her thoughts. This was a lot to take in. This Ophelia woman that she would be the key to finding Sloane? That was almost laughable. No, wait. It was laughable.  
  
And she had bothered with a little double agent. She had sought her out, found her, sedated her, and then proceeded to torture her, impersonate her handler's mother, and torture him. It seemed like a big ordeal to go through just..it just didn't make sense. Two and two now only equaled three and a half.  
  
Jack, meanwhile proceeded to answer the phone and stood up very straight as the person on the other end spoke. Her father turned back to her and as he finished, he turned back towards her, with a stunned look on his face. "Your uh, your mother is going on a mission with a few agents. They've found Arvin and she knows the area well. And after what happens, she wants to be the one to kill him."  
  
"Figures Mom would want to pull the trigger." She laughed quietly to herself. It was the first time she had smiled in a long time. She almost forgot how to curl her lips into the friendly expression, "Yeah, well. If I weren't here, I would be pulling the trigger." Sydney remarked cynically.  
  
Jack let out a sigh and put his phone back into his jacket pocket. Good old Jack Bristow never changed out his CIA standard black suit since he had gotten to the hospital. It was a CIA affiliated hospital and everyone there knew what had happened with Sydney and her handler. "We almost lost you." His voice quavered in a reflexive tone.  
  
"Almost doesn't count, Dad." She remarked profoundly, sensing the weakness in her father's voice. "They're not going to knock me down that easily."  
  
Jack sat back down on the bed and the tears were evident in his eyes, "Sydney, I know we haven't been close all these year but," He stopped, clearly moved by what he was about to say, "But I want you to know that-"  
  
"I know Dad." She replied, sensing his thoughts. "I feel the same way." Guilt suddenly pounded on her and she slowly let out a breath. "That's why," She bit down on her lip, "why I have to tell you a few things. About me and about Vaughn."  
  
His eyes got wide for a second but Sydney didn't notice. She had looked down at her lap and started to gush over what had happened. The letter from Irinia.the pills and Bourbon and the gun..the spiked tool.the Bourbon, again.what Vaughn had done.how he was the one that stopped from her from killing herself and how he kept talking to her when she was being tortured by Sophia.  
  
When she had finished, she was on the brink of tears and looked at her dad, like a worried teenager. He had gotten up and turned his back on her. His breathing was heavy and shook his shoulders. "I owe Michael Vaughn your life and mine then." He said after years of silence. Realizations that his girl had grown up and fallen love without him. He had missed so much in his life..busy saving the world from Arvin Sloane he forgot his daughter in the process. She had gushed about this one man and now it was clear that there was emotional attachment there. She was in love with her handler.  
  
She raised her eyebrows in worry once more. "Yeah," her tears flooded her eyes, "I guess so."  
  
He couldn't stand there anymore. His attention span had run out and a list of things to do had formed in his mind. "I'm going to and see how Mr. Vaughn made it out of his surgery."  
  
"Hey Dad," she called after him.  
  
"Yes?" He turned back towards her with puppy dog looking eyes. He had been replaced, whether he liked it or not. Okay, grant it, he hadn't always been the best father and he had missed much of Sydney's life but he was now a prominent part of her life and as soon as she needed him, she replaced him.  
  
"Thank you, for everything."  
  
"Yes." He replied simply and turned to go once more.  
  
"And Dad?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you too, sweetie." He smiled quickly.  
  
"Agent Vaughn, if you're there.I just wanted to say, that I think I owe my daughter's life to you." Jack spoke softly to him, standing straight near the foot of the bed, holding his coat in one hand and a briefcase in the other with a newspaper tucked under his arm. He looked like the stereotypical corporate man.  
  
Vaughn's eyes opened again and gone was the black interior of the van but instead bright lights of a hospital room. "What?" He asked sleepily, adjusting his body in the soft bed. He had oxygen tubes running beneath his nose and his body felt so heavy. He wasn't quite sure what was going on but he decided to go with anyway.  
  
"Sydney told me what happened. I owe my daughter to you. You saved her." Jack, for the first time, showed true emotion to Vaughn. "I don't know what I do without her. You saved her from herself." Jack replied in a matter-of-fact one. *Please tell me my daughter didn't fall for an idiot.*  
  
Vaughn was now officially confused. "What?"  
  
Jack sighed impatiently and walked to the head of the bed, "She told me about the letter from Irinia.the pills and Bourbon and the gun..the spiked tool.the Bourbon, again." Jack edged closer to Vaughn, lying on the hospital bed. "She told me you're the one that stopped from her from killing herself and you kept talking to her when she was being tortured by Sophia." *Okay, he's just numb from the medication. Or just keep telling yourself that.*  
  
Vaughn sat up a little bit, his tattered clothes were now replaced by a hospital gown and his leg was bandaged tightly. "Who's Sophia?"  
  
"Your mother." Jack couldn't help raising his eyebrows at the 33 year old. He couldn't be that sedated that he didn't know his mother's own name.  
  
"My mother's name is Felicity Delorme Vaughn." Vaughn replied, attempting to sit up a little. This was officially confusing. "But the woman who tortured me said her name was Sophia Delorme. And knew everything about me.and my father..and Irinia."  
  
A few more pieces began to fall into place for the troubled father. Maybe Vaughn wasn't a moron. "This makes sense then. This woman, Ophelia Hart impersonated your mother to torture you and Sydney. She is the head of the Alliance or should I say was the head of the Alliance. She must have had a mole in the CIA but got the wrong information off of our faux server. Any inexperience hacker attempting to hack into the system will get into the server with fake information, including agent files. There are all the agents' files there but with some alterations. For example on your father's, your mother's name was Sophia Nanette Delorme."  
  
"And that's why Irinia thought my mother's name was Nanette." And Vaughn caught on quickly as well, even with the painkillers in his system.  
Jack nodded knowingly, "She only received parts of the information you're your father. Also, Nanette was the wife of his alias." He remembered the case well but didn't want to go into details with him. He didn't have the heart to tell Vaughn that it was suppose to be him going on the mission not William.  
  
Silence coated the two men for a moment until Vaughn spoke, "I have a few questions, sir. How's Sydney?" His green eyes flickered with life for a moment, quickly praying that she was alive and doing okay. His limbs started to get more comfortable in his skin and his mind was focusing quickly. The seizure had had no lasting affect on him. He was going to be okay.  
  
"She's been asking about you." Jack almost smiled. He suddenly knew that he had found the missing half to his daughter. The way she spoke about him saving her were like flashing lights to Jack. His daughter was in love and obviously her love loved her back. "But she's fine." Jack turned to go and prepare to go back to his daughter's room but was promptly stopped by Vaughn calling out one last question to him.  
  
"Good. Good." He smiled a little, "When are we going home?"  
  
Jack looked over his shoulder and answered, "Tonight, actually. You're flying home first under your alias but Sydney needs to stay here for observation for another day or so." painfully slow. You may be in love with my daughter but I'm taking her home. She's mine for another day and then you can have her. I give her to you, Michael Vaughn.  
  
"Tonight?" Vaughn's green eyes got wide for a moment. He only had a little while to get things in order to prepare for what he needed to do before he saw Sydney. He had dreamed of it so many times and after their near death experience, it was time for it to become reality. 


	16. Cell Block Tango

Everything was quiet and peacefully. The sun had risen about three hours ago and she had just opened her eyes beneath the white fluffy comforter in her bedroom. G-d, she loved her home. It smelt like lavender and chai tea. It was an absolutely perfect morning. She hadn't had a morning like that since..well, let's not go there for a moment.  
  
The pure white light from her lamp gave the room an angelic like glow early that morning, nearly ten days after what was now referred to as "the incident". It was barely 9:45 but she was sure that Francie had been up for at least an hour cooking this perfect morning's breakfast. She was humming in the kitchen, singing every now and then and soon joined by Will, singing the parts he knew.  
  
Unfortunately, she didn't wake up on her own. A phone had cut through her peaceful dreams that were a little smutty but they were all hers and someone was all hers. An arm, still scarred with track marks and bruises reached up from the comforter and groped around for her old-fashioned phone on her nightstand. On the fourth or fifth ring, she finally found her phone and brought the receiver beneath the covers and answered with a familiar, "Hello?" She waited with half excitement half dread to hear what was on the other end.  
  
"Joey's pizza?" a familiar voice answered over the phone. A slow grin started to spread across her face and she could tell that he was smiling on the other end.  
  
"Wrong number." A long sigh escaped her lips as she spoke. How was she going to get out of the house..well, Francie now knew everything about SD-6 and they were safe from it now and could help her get out of the house. There really wasn't a reason to use the standard Joey's pizza thing but she assumed something was up. SD-6 was still in business but her mother was now the most loved person at the Joint Task Force. Irinia Derevko, master mine of deception and international black market intelligence queen, had successfully found Arvin Sloane and shot him in point blank range. SD-6 was dead for now. Sydney was a free agent for at least another month, when she would return for duty under a new director. Jack had hacked into Sloane's files and destroyed all orders and evidence of Sydney being a double agent. She was free until the replacement, Mr. Santo-Thomas came in less than seven days.  
  
As she went to hang up the receiver, she heard the voice shout over the other line, "Hey, lady- do you think they'd deliver for a party in three hours?" His voice was full of happiness. It was so obvious.  
  
"Why not. Sure." Sydney responded, decided whether or not she should be happy that he had called her and woke her up. She had been back in her bed and emphasis on bed, for less than a week later. The doctors in the Spanish hospital had strictly enforced that she stay in bed for ten days when she got home so not to tear out any of her 400 stitches. Absurd and large number, I know, but that little tool did real damage to both of her legs and feet. They ached with the sleeping pill wearing off and cramped, not being able to stretch out for a while.  
  
She was tired of being bed-ridden.she was forced to only sponge baths and either had to crawl or be carried whenever she needed to use the facility. It was humiliating and humbling but thank G-d for Francie. She had muddled through it for nearly a week now and hadn't uttered one complaint. She was nearly better, going through intensive therapy for a week straight and on heavy dosages of antidepressants. It was almost as if nothing had happened. While Vaughn and Sydney were in Madrid, a team of agents came in and repaired the house completely. Furniture was new and replaced. Even Francie's pots and pans had been completely restores and were even better quality than before. Devlin had owed a favor to Jack and it came in the payment of new furniture and a complete house cleaning and addition of security cameras, detectors, and agents stationed about the block.  
  
Sydney stretched her arms and slammed the phone back down as the door to her bedroom squeaked open, sitting up slightly. There was Francie holding a tray of pancakes, grapefruit, and a cup of tea. "I thought the phone would wake you up. Who was it?" She leaned against the door jam, dressed in jeans and a tank top and held the antique tray in her hands as she tilted her head and smiled at her friend.  
  
Sydney smiled and motioned for her to come in, "My handler. I have to meet him in three hours." Francie smiled broadly and sat down on her bed as Sydney sat up folded the comforter over her lap and set the tray there as well. "This looks good!" She wanted to avoid the subject of her handler for the moment. She just didn't feel like it. Her eyes engulfed the food and her stomach suddenly felt extremely empty.  
  
"Eat! You're getting too skinny!" Francie curled her chocolate colored feet beneath her light wash jeans and leaned on her hand, propped up on her knee. "Wait a minute..Your handler is the guy who came to the house?"  
  
With a mouthful of food, Sydney managed to smile a chipmunk looking smile and nodded like a love struck teenager. "Uh-huh."  
  
"The hot one?"  
  
Sydney felt the blush rise in her cheeks and the smile began to form as much as she tried to suppress it. "I guess he's hot."  
  
Francie was floored and laid back on the bed, squealing, "You guess he's hot? Syd, you're blushing more than when you told me about your first date! No, your first kiss!"  
  
Good Lord is he not the hottest creature known to man? I want him! I need him! I have to have him-like today! "Okay! Okay! He's so hot."  
  
"And he's cute hot but not dorky cute."  
  
Sydney was now squealing with laughter, "And he's ripped too."  
  
"Good lord, girly, he's perfect!" Francie yelped, completely out of character. "Anything else you're not telling me?"  
  
Sydney sat up a little taller and scanned through her memory. "Well, Vaughn. He's..he's wonderful." She let her voice drop low for a moment and a chill overtook her body. "He's above average dancer..French..good conversationalist." She licked her lips as she remembered the night club, "and definitely hot."  
  
Francie had fallen on her back and was shrieking with laughter, "And you're meeting him in three hours?"  
  
"Yes." It was like Cinderella was finally able to go to the ball. Sydney looked down at herself, wearing an old stretched out t-shirt with old pajama pants and stale, oily hair with no make-up on and dry, disgusting feeling tight skin. "I need help then." She moaned, feeling the worry lines arch up on her forehead.  
  
"Then we gotta get you going!" Francie jumped to her feet and rushed to her closet. The tray on Sydney's lap bounced up and down as Francie bounded towards the closet, ripping through the neatly organized things. "Let's see! Let's see!" She smiled and turned around to Sydney now and then. "You can't wear pants 'cause of your legs so let's see what we can get you in!" She bounced back and forth on her feet until she had proclaimed on finding the perfect outfit. She laughed and found a sexy black peasant skirt and pink tank top with lacy accents. "These are perfect! And they go with.." She bent down for shoes but was promptly stopped by Sydney's quick demand.  
  
"No shoes!" Sydney motioned down at her feet as Francie picked up her little pink pumps. "I wish I could wear those but I think they would kill me."  
  
Francie set the shoes down and looked Sydney soberly, "That's not funny, Syd. You almost died."  
  
Her tongue ran over her lips quickly and she bit down hard on her bottom one. Eye contact was lost for a moment as Sydney responded, "Francie, I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay. I just don't want you to talk that way." She looked at the items of clothing in her hands again. Her entire attitude changed in an instant. "We need to wash your hair! Wiiilllll!" She tossed the clothes on the bed and marched out to find the unsuspecting Will.  
  
"You want me to what? Where?" Sydney heard Will exclaim and began to giggle slightly.  
  
"You heard me! I need you to carry her into the bathroom so I can wash her hair! I need to pamper her!" Francie shouted, dragged Will into the bedroom by his t-shirt collar. Unwillingly, Will came to the side of Sydney's bed and motioned for her to grab onto his neck. "Come on."  
  
"I'm sorry." Sydney shook her head back and forth, clearly embarrassed. She casually pulled the blankets aside, revealing a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top. "I really am."  
  
Will smiled and picked her up, "Think nothing of it." He bent his knees and pretended to drop her, causing her to give out a shout and clutch his neck tighter. "You little princess."  
  
Sydney smiled and laughed as she was brought into her bathroom and sat on a chair, provided by Francie, skipping about at Will's heals. She was like an excited toddler.  
  
Sydney laughed once more and leaned her head back into her sink and all of the smells and disgusting feelings were washed away and replaced with green tea extracts. Her eyes focused on the beige ceiling and remembered how much she loved her simple gold and beige bathroom. The wooden stool she was propped on squeaked every now and then. Francie sang happily as she fussed around her friend. The aroma of the shampoo and conditioner filled the room and smelled so sweet. She had been thoroughly shampooed, conditioned, and rinsed when Francie helped to sit her upright and reached for the hair dryer and curling iron.  
  
Despite protests, Francie insisted on doing her hair. And sure enough, about a half hour later, her hair was pulled half up half down and lightly curled at the bottom. Sydney won the war and did her own make-up and nails. The fake ones had been ripped off in the hospital and within an hour of waking up, she was made up with lavender colored nails. A creamicle scented moisturizer covered her skin, instantly giving it life and color. She applied a soft eyeliner and concealer for the bags under her eyes. The rest of her face went on and as she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile. She was back. She used make-up with names like "Natural Nude" and "Lovely Lilac" and her favorite lipstick, "Blissful Berry."  
  
She was still plopped in the bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her eyelashes with the long black mascara wand, when Francie came back in, showing three pieces of jewelry. One was an antique looking necklace with rose quarts, another was a flower ring made of rose gold and the third was a pair of earrings Sydney had found in a garage sale months ago. They were solid gold and from the 1920's. The little hoops hung elegantly from her ears as she fastened them into place, looking at the big rectangle mirror in front of her. Francie retreated once more into Syd's bedroom and grabbed the clothes and the appropriate lingerie but not before Will had popped in to view the intense process Sydney was going through.  
  
"Perfect." Will replied from the door. "Vaughn will love it."  
  
Sydney looked nothing less than horrified. "I am not doing this for Vaughn. I am doing this for myself!"  
  
Will wasn't convinced. "Oh yeah? Then why is Francie going around the house proclaiming, 'Vaughn and Sydney sitting in a tree.' or 'Sydney loves Vau-ghn.'?"  
  
"Good lord." Sydney blushed and turned her body, including her heavily bandaged feet towards him. Will immediately cringed at the sight of the gauze going from above her knees to her big toe.  
  
Will was obviously pained by what he was about to say, "You know Syd, he's really into you."  
  
Again, the rose in her cheeks flared and a goofy smile spread across her lips. "You think?" She attempted trying to be nonchalant.  
  
Will laughed lightly, "Uh yeah. I do think. I think Francie wants me to get out of here so you can get changed. Do you need a ride to the warehouse?"  
  
Sydney stopped breathing for a moment. She needed to see her mother before she met with Vaughn. It was the first time in the last few years that she truly needed her mother and could go and see her. "Could you get me my cell near the white lamp on my dresser? That's my CIA one." Sydney replied slowly, turning back to the mirror.  
  
Will nodded a reply and made his way to the dresser and found the black faceplate phone. "Here ya go. I'll give you some privacy." And walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door tightly behind him.  
  
"Hey Will!" Sydney shouted and he appeared once again, "Thank you for everything.and for understanding."  
  
"You know I love you, Sydney." A slow sober response came that had a double meaning. He loved her as a friend but now more than ever found himself wishing that there was something more.  
  
"I love you too." But I love Vaughn more, Will, I'm so sorry. Sydney's eyes met his blue sapphire eyes and smiled a sad little smile and then turned to her phone and dialed a familiar number.  
  
The next hour moved quickly and was almost non-eventful. Sydney had gotten dressed in the most painful way, her body still entirely sore from her ordeal.  
  
"Is she ready?" Jack asked from the door of Sydney's house. His eyes were like steal and starred straight ahead looking Will over crudely.  
  
"Yeah, she is. She's in her room." Will replied from the doorway, ushering Jack into the house, stopping him for a moment. "How are you doing?"  
  
Jack was slightly stunned for a moment, "I'm fine, Mr. Tippen."  
  
It's almost Agent Tippen. "Okay. Good. I just wanted to make sure with everything that's been going on."  
  
"Mr. Tippen, my daughter is in her room?" Jack asked again, impatiently.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Jack stiffly walked to the back of the house to find is daughter nervously twitching on her bed. "Hello, Sydney."  
  
Her eyes jumped to the door and her heart began to accelerate. "Hi dad." She managed to squeak.  
  
He cleared his throat uncomfortably and walked into the room, "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Sure." She extended her arms to her father and wrapped them securely around his neck as he lifted her up  
  
He groaned slightly but smiled, "You're getting heavy in your old age." He joked lightly. It took almost losing his daughter to find his sense of humor.  
  
Sydney smiled brightly, "Hey, watch it. As soon as the bandages come off, I can kick you to curb."  
  
"Very funny." He returned her bright gaze and walked out of the house. The sun was shining brightly that day and the rays felt wonderful against her face. "It is a nice day out." Jack spoke, trying to bring some warmth into his voice.  
  
Sydney smiled and murmured a reply as her eyes scanned over her little lawn and street. The black government issue car was parked out front, with the engine still running. Jack's pace was slow and steady, trying to keep her as still as possible. He finally reached his car and opened the door with his free hand, letting go of her back for a moment. Using her upper body, she managed to slide into the car and seat belt herself in. Today was going to be a day of firsts. After she would talk to her mother, she would go and talk to Vaughn and then everything would be out in the open. It would all go according to plan. This would work. It had to work.  
"So you feel that strongly about my daughter, Agent Vaughn?"  
  
"I guess you could say that."  
  
"And you have no hard feelings about the letter?"  
  
"No ma'am."  
  
Irinia's lips curled into a smile, "Good. She's in love with you too." Her brown eyes lit up at the sight of Vaughn. He looked so much like his father that it tortured her inside but at the same time, it was the only thing that kept her sanity. "You and your father are so much alike, it frightens me." Her voice started to tremble slightly. "I don't think I ever told you how terribly sorry I am for that. In person, at least." She lost eye contact for a moment as she felt the flashbacks flood her body.  
  
Vaughn's mouth dropped open and he stood there gaping for a moment. He wanted so desperately to say something but he couldn't manage to use his mouth. As much as he desperately tried to, he couldn't get control of his emotions. His father's killer had just given him so much information about her daughter and about his father. He wanted to laugh and he wanted to cry all at the same time.  
  
Irinia managed to laugh a little bit at his reaction only to cover up the tears that threatened to overflow. Their eyes met and she smiled sadly, "You're so sweet, my dear." She used such an endearing term to him. "You're like your father in more ways than I could have ever imagined." She lost eye contact with him for a moment. "He was quite possible the dearest man I have ever met."  
  
His tongue started to regain feeling as he spoke foreignly, "Thank you, ma'am." He cleared his throat uncomfortably as his mind screamed for him to ask just one question, "Ms. Derevko, I have just one question for you." All of his muscles tightened as he awaited the impending conversation.  
  
"Please, call me Irinia and go ahead." She spoke softly and lovingly.  
  
"How did my mother know the story?" He blurted out so fast that he instantly regretted opening his mouth. He rested his body wait heavily on the crutch he was forced to walk with until his leg fully healed. The stitches had already been removed but it was still sore and covered with horrible bruises. His long-sleeved shirt covered the track marks that had turned a disgusting color purple and were swollen. His face was drawn and pale but his eyes were full of cover and life. Ten days was not enough time for him to heal but he needed to get out of the house and settle all of these things that were up in the air.  
  
Irinia walked closer to the glass and starred directly into his eyes, "Well. I was in love with him you know. " Vaughn nodded him solemnly. "I guess you could say that the Bristow women always manage to fall for the men we really can't have. But I was at his funeral..I stood beside Jack and your mother in front of the casket. I saw you and your little sister-"  
  
"Delia.'' Vaughn interjected quickly.  
  
She smiled at the name. Strangely enough, that was the name of her alias that fateful night. She was Delia White, a wealthy heiress sent to a party to collect information. "I saw you and Delia and you had your arms wrapped around her so tightly I thought you were going to crush her." She almost laughed at his memory as she starred to the left of him, starring like there was a movie playing next to him. "You knew exactly what was going on but your sister really didn't. But your mother kept both of you busy right afterwards. She didn't want you to see her cry. I remember so clearly. That was the first time she met Sydney.she was only what, five or six?" Yes, it was right before I left her. "Anyway.your mother sent you out to keep Delia and Sydney busy while she, Jack, and I all spoke." She looked at him, the tears brimming over her eyes. This was her vulnerable side that not many had seen in her life, "You and Sydney played together after it was all over. And the three of you had so much fun. Sydney actually beat you in some game you were playing. But I couldn't make in through the day without telling her. Jack had stepped outside to see how Sydney was doing and your mother and I stole away to the upstairs. I held your mother as she cried and I told her the story. All of it. She was the only part of my old life that knew who I really was and what I was there. I swore her to secrecy and then, six months later, I left." She concluded, now in full tears and turned away from Vaughn, who was now visibly crying too.  
  
Vaughn didn't see that coming at all. He was stunned again but this time, he managed to speak, "You were at my father's funeral? No wait. That's how my mother knew the story? Wait! Sydney and I played together when we were little?"  
  
Irinia let out a tearful laugh and smiled at Vaughn, "All of that information and you pick out that?"  
"Agent Bristow, how are you feeling?" Kendall asked as he spotted Jack carrying Sydney across the Joint Task Force Office. He matched his stride to that of Jack's and suddenly turned around, "Somebody get be a wheelchair! NOW!" He turned back to Jack and told him to stop.  
  
"I'm feeling fine." Sydney replied, awkwardly as she starred into Kendall's hellish looking eyes. He was suffering from lack of sleep but something in his eyes gave the impression that he was excited to see her. "I'll be back in a few weeks."  
  
Kendall nodded solemenly, "As soon as those stitches come out and you've met with Barnett and we've checked out a statement from you." A new recruit came rushing towards them with a wheelchair. "Ah, you're ride is here."  
  
"Here you, Agent Bristow. I hope you're feeling better." She rushed through her sentences very quickly.  
  
Jack set Sydney down into the chair as she looked back at the young recruit. "You're Chayse, aren't you?" She smiled slightly and wait for the answer.  
  
"Yes, ma'am." She started to hurry through her speech again and it was completely lost on Sydney, who smiled politely and waited for her to finish. *Oh yeah. I do remember this girl. She does not stop talking !*  
  
Jack did not have the patient nature that Sydney had. He had no idea where it came from but he knew that it didn't come from him or her mother. "Are you ready to go and see Irinia?" he asked in the most father-like tone. His body stepped in front of Chayse and barely waited for an answer before he heard the answer. His robust body was entirely in control and he walked with confidence across the office to the most secluded area, showing the guard two sets of ID: his and hers. The guard nodded and the familiar clank of the bars being raised for their entry. The air was stale and hung around them. Sydney tried to keep her composure and settled on starring down at her clasped hands in her lap. She tried to control her breathing. She had never been nervous to see her mother but this time, all she could hear was her heartbeat throbbing in her brain.  
  
Jack kept his game face on and walked briskly into the cell, listening to the familiar creek of the wheels against the floor, and set her in front of the glass, "Please, take all the time you need." He bent over and kissed her on the cheek as his eyes locked on Irinia, who had already stood up and was starring at Sydney with a look of a true mother. "Hello, Irinia."  
  
The remark was completely lost on her. Her eyes were locked on her daughter's and the emotions were too much to be contained. The tears were already brimming over her brown eyes as she put her hand to the glass, unable to hold her daughter, "What did that bastard do to you?" She managed to whisper. Her voice betrayed her emotions and her body language showed the hurt she felt inside by the state of her daughter. She ignored Jack saying something about leaving and coming back in a few moments.  
  
Sydney's eyes were reflecting the sorrow that Irinia had in her eyes. She sat close enough to the window that she could touch the glass where her mother's hand rest and reply, "It wasn't him. It was Ophelia."  
  
Irinia cringed at the name. "I had the opportunity to kill her on one op and I didn't." her voice was full of regret, "I should have. She's a witch."  
  
Her eyes were brimming over and she didn't even want to talk about it anymore. She was tired of talking about the torture and the injections and the threats. She wanted it to end once and for wall. "Mom." Sydney silenced her with the one word.  
  
Something in her snapped and her mouth could only utter one sentence, "I killed him for your safety, Sydney." Her tone was soft but hard. All emotion quickly drained from her face. "I had to. He was going to kill you." She kept shaking her head like she was in shock from it all. "I didn't even know that he was dead until I saw the blood on my hands but I knew that he needed to die. Sydney, he was going to kill you, Jack, your friends, and Mr. Vaughn." *I couldn't let him kill you or the ones you loved. You've already lost so much.*  
  
He had it coming  
  
He had it coming  
  
He only had himself to blame  
  
If you had been there  
  
If you had heard it  
  
I betcha you would have done the same!  
  
The tears were threatening to overflow now. "Mom." She was in overdrive. Hearing that he was going to kill all of them was so much to bear but she knew that there was more. She didn't want to hear about it anymore. She was sick of it and was coming to have a cynical view of the world.  
  
*He had it coming  
  
He had it coming  
  
He took his power in his pride  
  
And then he used it  
  
And he abused it  
  
It was a murder but not a crime!  
  
Her mother needed to justify herself as fast as humanly possible. "I went there just to capture him and I saw the plans..I heard the commands..I knew what was going to happen if Ophelia didn't kill you. I couldn't let him hurt you." Her tongue moved rapidly over her teeth as she described the horrific plans that Sloane had in mind. "One bullet to the head and the devil died."  
  
Sydney was horrified. "He was going to do that..to me?" She managed to whisper. She had always known that Sloane was the devil but she had no clue how horrible he was. "To my family? To our family?"  
  
He had it coming  
  
He had it coming  
  
He had it coming all along  
  
Cause if he used us  
  
And if they abused us  
  
How could you tell me that I was wrong?  
  
Irinia was now openly sobbing and tucked her long brown hair behind her ear. "I couldn't let them hurt my little girl. I know I haven't been the best mother to you and I can never make up for it but I'm trying to make up for. I'm so sorry for everything. It's my fault you're in this life...if I hadn't.." the sobs took over her body and shook her hard. "I love you Sydney."  
  
If you had been there  
  
If you had heard it  
  
I betcha you would have done the same!  
  
"I love you too." She sobbed, pressing her hand up the glass harder. Her face was growing red and puffy. "I've loved you since I was born. I don't care about your past or what you've done. You're my mother and that's all that matters." She wanted to comfort her mother but couldn't. "Please Mom, stop crying." She removed her hand and tried to wipe the tears away in vain.  
  
Irinia followed suit and managed to smile a little, "You're ruining your make-up."  
  
Sydney laughed tearfully at this remark. "That's a typical mom thing to say. I know, I have some in my bag, in the car." She ran her fingers under her eyes and sighed and sniffled. The silence coated them for a few moments as Sydney got the courage to say something that she had wanted to for a few days now. Actually, she needed to say this for a while but didn't have the courage to say it. "But Mom. Mom, I wasn't here to blame you or to accuse you. I'm here...because I need your advice."  
  
Irinia's sobs still shook her body but she managed to look up, "Advice? From me? Why? You have no mission." Sydney found a smile cross her lips and Irinia understood. "It's about a man." The smile broadened and the woman's instinct kicked into high gear. She knew who it was about. "He was here this morning, you know."  
  
Sydney smiled more and she felt the adrenaline rush through her bones. "You know what I'm going to ask you about?" She felt so excited that her mother knew her that well already.  
  
Irinia gave her a look like 'of course I know who you're talking about you silly little girl' and walked closer to the glass, glancing hesitantly at the glass and then back at her daughter, still red and puffy from the tears but at the same time, she had never looked so beautiful in her life. "It's about Agent Vaughn."  
  
A/N: So what do you think? I've one more chapter and an epilogue to go! And I'm thinking of a sequel to this! It's kind of fluffy from here on out but it's still fun, I think! Please review and tell me what you think! Please, please please! 


	17. The World Can't Bring Us Down

A/N: This is the final chapter!!! I got the epilogue in the works so..please review this so I know whether or not to do the sequel I have in mind. And to clear up anything, chapter 16 "Cell Block Tango" was based on the song from Chicago, which I do not own in any way. Please review and tell me what you think! I love reading them and hopefully, each chapter was better than the rest. So, read this last chapter and the epilogue coming within the next couple of days!  
  
So without any further ado..the final chapter of AND THE BLUEBIRD MAY FALL..  
She clutched her hands tightly in her lap, feeling the sweat pool between her fingertips. She could help her hands on her legs from bouncing up and down or the impatient feeling running through her veins. Her heart was pounding so loudly with anticipation that she could barely hear the small talk her father was attempting to have. She only paused to breath and murmur a "yeah," or "uh-huh." She and her father were pulling away from the Joint Task Force Ops and going towards the warehouse. Her body was free from the confines of the wheelchair and was now confined to her dad's black SUV. She hadn't seen Vaughn in over a week. Now, grant it, she had not seen him for a lot longer than a week but today, all she wanted to do was lay her eyes on him and make sure that he was okay. The last time she saw him, she was being tortured and he was crying for her to be okay. And now she was. It was time for her to show him that he was well. *Hurry, hurry, hurry* she coaxed her father's foot on the gas. She let her hands bop up and down causing extreme pain and-  
  
"Sydney." Jack finally let out an exasperated sigh. His eyes glanced between his nervous daughter and the road, letting his hand away from the wheel to unclasp hers. "Why are you so worried?" Every since she had returned, he was the sweetest man on the planet, showing adamant concern in his eyes for her whenever he looked at her. He was in love with his daughter all over again.  
  
She couldn't tell him the real reason why. It would only bring more trouble to her life. She couldn't confess that she was nervous as all hell to see a man she hadn't seen in a week and dreamed about every night. That his images surrounded her in every waking moment that she could focus on. Or daydreams made her zone out of conversations and gossip that Francie gushed everyday. She wanted to see him so badly, it actually ached inside. "I'm just anxious to see the warehouse again." She unyieldingly replied.  
  
Jack smiled and laughed lightly, "You know, for an agent, you sure can't lie."  
  
Sydney started to laugh and would have hit her father if he wasn't driving, "What are you talking about? I haven't seen the warehouse in a while."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"Dad!" Sydney felt her cheeks glow brightly in the midday sun. "I'm- "  
  
"Liar." His answer was short and made her burn even brighter. "You- "  
  
"Don't you finish that sentence!" Sydney let go off everything and shook her hands in the air. "Dad!" (A/N a little OOC but its still works).  
  
Jack felt a laugh brew in his stomach and escape his lips. He hadn't laughed in nearly twenty-four years. It felt so good..it was bottled up inside him so tightly that it felt good to finally release it.  
  
Vaughn sat on the table in the middle of the warehouse and his body was shaking with anticipation. His leg still throbbed with pain but it was okay. It was bearable and he was going to see Sydney again. His jade eyes shut for a moment as he thought about this morning and how chaotic it had been..what had happened and its results. This morning had been chaotic. No, this week had been chaotic.  
  
Weiss had brought him home, cracking the usual jokes about Alice or his apartment or how ugly he was. Vaughn managed to climb out of the wheelchair, on loan from the hospital and he was put on bed rest for a few days. Weiss didn't ask about what happened in Madrid or if anything had happened with Sydney. As Vaughn got settled, seeing his house again, Weiss was unusually silent and solemn. At his heart, Vaughn knew that something had changed while he had gone..that something had happened to his friend but he didn't have the heart to bring it up. Weiss had grown quietly, not bearing to look at him at all. His quiet manners scared his friend slightly and as Weiss turned to leave his best friend's place, he turned around, "Hey Mike."  
  
Vaughn looked up from the bed with pain filled eyes, "Yeah?"  
  
Weiss struggled with the next phrase he wanted to say so badly. "You know..we almost lost you...and Sydney..but I just wanted to say..that I'm glad.."  
  
Vaughn raised his hand to silence him, "Me too." He shared this touching moment for minute.  
  
"Hey baby." A female voice entered, quickly dissolving the moment. She had rushed home from dinner at the country club with her parents and was dressed in a floor length black dress that had a slit up her hamstring. Her blonde hair was pulled back by a rhinestone headband and her brown eyes shown with jealousy. "Good-bye, Eric. Mike needs his rest." Alice had promptly entered Vaughn's room and hastily pushed Weiss out of the door. "You need to go." And the moment was gone. She placed her hand on his chest and started to push him out of the room.  
  
"Bye man." Vaughn barely spoke aloud, feeling resentment towards the woman he supposedly loved but was now grating on his nerves.  
  
Her blonde haired head had bopped around a bit and formerly shoved him out the house. "Good-bye." She finally said, shutting the door in his face with a perky matter.  
  
Alice had quickly returned to Vaughn's side, "Hey baby." She cooed, sitting next to him on the bed and started to kiss his face and his neck.  
  
He wanted to roll his eyes but instead, let out a painful sigh, "Hi." He hoarsely whispered.  
  
She sat up from kissing his neck and looked him squarely in the eyes, "You don't know how much I missed you, baby. How much I hate lying here alone and now, you're home." Never mind, 'how are you feeling?' No, she jumped right to, 'I' and 'me' and all the selfish terms that are implied there. "From this moment, until you get better, I'm going to take care of you. I promise."  
  
Vaughn smiled weakly and pretended to be exhausted and shut his eyes, privately dreading the next few days. They had been over for a while but she didn't know that.  
  
There, and from that moment on for the next three or for days, was disgustingly overprotective and motherly to him. She cooked his meals, took care of Donovan, slept beside him and woke him every few hours to make sure he was okay and to give him his medication. And every day, she told him she loved him and he couldn't say it back with a clear conscious. That morning, she had come in, dressed in jean skirt and tank top and quietly stirred him.  
  
"Hey baby." She cooed, kissing him lightly to wake him.  
  
His body had not stirred too much; he was living in this dream. Finally, his cherry colored lips uttered the words, "I love you too, Syd."  
  
Alice stood up, waking him violently in the process. "Okay Michael. Who the hell is Sydney?" She knew he was awake and if he wasn't, so what?  
  
Vaughn's eyes had opened slowly and gone was the great dream he was having of him and Sydney..but an angry girlfriend standing over him, with her hands on her hips, ready to kill him. He suddenly found himself wishing he was still in Madrid or Ophelia had killed him. "Alice!" He exclaimed, frantically trying to sit up. "Alice!"  
  
"Very good, Michael. You remembered my name." The veins were popping out of her neck and for a while there, he thought she was going to strangle him. "Who the hell is Sydney?"  
  
"Hang on!" He ran his hands over his face and desperately tried to rationalize with her or even wake up, "Can you sit for a minute?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Okay." That obviously wasn't going to work. "Let me explain."  
  
"No it's really okay." She replied sarcastically. "For the past few nights, you've moaned that name in your sleep. You've cried out for her when I touch you! When I kiss you while you sleep you say her name! Who the hell is she, Michael?" She was pissed, there was no denying that. She began to pace at the foot of his bed, her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for her answer.  
  
Vaughn suddenly realized how swollen his tongue was. The words were tripping out of his mouth as he tried to explain the insanely complicated situation. "I'm in love with another woman." Not exactly the most subtle way to go but it could work for him. He cringed at the way the words fell out of his mouth and how incredibly brash that sounded. Her face went from red to purple very quickly and he noticed how quickly she started to breath. "Alice-" He would have gotten up and forced her to sit down but that was futile. His leg was heavy and he couldn't bear to put any wait on it. "I'm so sorry."  
  
She snorted and starred at him. "You're sorry? I've wasted how long being in this relationship with you and you go around and screw some other girl?" Her eyes narrowed at him and he swore for a moment there she was going to kill him with the stiletto heels on her feet.  
  
*Well, technically..I haven't screwed another girl. Hell, I haven't even kissed her.* "I'm so sorry, Alice." He repeated again, feeling horrible and free all at the same time. This was a great feeling that was coming over him and he needed to suppress it right now. He was free from the "Ice Queen" as Weiss liked to refer to her. He wasn't cynical or mean by nature but if he was going to do what he wanted to do today, it would have to be over between him and Alice. "I really am sorry."  
  
"Screw you!" She snapped, going to his closet and ripping down all of her clothes. "I'll be gone by the afternoon."  
  
Vaughn ran his hands over his face again, still exhausted from his sleep, "Take all the time you need."  
  
That made her snap. "I want you out of my life as soon as possible! I don't want to hear your name-see your face-hear you breathing! I hate you right now Michael and I hope you rot in hell for this!" She abandoned her clothes and rushed out of the house, slamming the door behind her with a loud thud.  
  
So now, he sat on the table in the middle of the dingy warehouse waiting for Sydney to come. He was early, as usual but he couldn't help but feel like the seconds were barely inching by. He tapped his good foot in anticipation, running through his speech over and over again in his mind, with his still bandaged leg resting awkwardly on the table. He couldn't help but bop up and down, like an anxious two year old. His eyes grew wide and were promptly removed from his reverie by the opening of the warehouse door and the sound of two male feet making their way across the hard cement. He felt his eyes grow wide as he tried to get his emotions in perfect check. His throat was cleared rapidly over and over again. Vaughn thought his heart was going to leap out of his chest if Jack took a moment longer or at least, he hoped it was Jack. A familiar figure started to come into the shadows with another figure clinging to his neck.  
  
Nothing short of a cold voice greeted him, "Agent Vaughn," the first figure replied, walking straight up to the table and setting the first figure down. "I trust you'll get her home safely." Jack straightened up and slowly stretched out his back from the weight of his daughter in his arms. His black suit had grown wrinkled from his embrace but the perfect, controlling Mr. Bristow didn't mind at all.  
  
He would have stood up and shook his hand but perceptibly couldn't. "Yes sir." He extended his hand out and Jack shook it firmly. He felt the old wounds of his torture spread through his lower back and his plain black t-shirt revealed the track marks on his arms that had turned a violent violet in color.  
  
Jack looked at his daughter once more and softly said, "Dinner tonight at 8?"  
  
Sydney smiled from her space on the table. "Yeah..8's good."  
  
He slowly started to back away towards his car and the exit, fully aware that he was giving his daughter to another man. This was painful for him to doubt. He missed her entire life and now as soon as he had the chance to catch up, there was another man waiting with his arms wide open. His eyes scanned her once more and then he turned to leave.  
  
Sydney sat uncomfortably on the table next to Vaughn, wanting so badly to cross her legs but knowing with full knowledge she couldn't. Their hands were so close to each other. It was like being in High School and sitting so close to that other person but not knowing if they could touch the other.  
  
"What did that woman do to you?" Vaughn managed to say, after surveying the damage of her legs and the bruises that were unable to be concealed on her arms and neck. His eyes had grown red and worried at the sight of her looking so destroyed. He had never seen her this way.except the first time that they met.  
  
"Yeah, I know." She replied, looking down at her legs and then at him. "They did you pretty bad too." Her voice was soft and insecure.  
  
He bit down on his lip, "You got worse than I did, Syd. I'm so glad that you're okay." He didn't know what to say after that. Hell, he could barely look at her without revealing everything he had bottled up. Lord, he was losing his nerve quickly. No, he could back down.  
  
She didn't know how to start the conversation. How do you confess your feelings to a man you're not allowed to have feelings for?  
  
Silence  
  
Silence  
  
And more awkward silence.  
  
"So." her voice wavered in the stillness. Her eyes were locked on him as he starred out in to void of the space. The dim lighting seemed more peaceful than it ever had before. Without receiving a response she spoke again, "So why did you need so see me? Has something come up?" She still didn't receive a response but honestly didn't have the energy to fight with him today. But it was okay. She didn't mind sitting in silence for this little bit. It gave her a few extra seconds to reflect on what she wanted to say so badly.  
  
He breathed in slowly and finally spoke, "I broke up with Alice this morning." He said simply. He didn't face her as he spoke but quickly turned as he had finished. She was clearly in shock and wasn't doing a great job at concealing her emotions.  
  
When she realized what had just happened she could only utter, "Oh." And after a split second or two of thinking, "I'm sorry."  
  
He moved his body to face her, balancing partly on the table and his good leg. "It's been over for a while," blatantly ignoring his body screaming at him to go home and lie down...that his body was going to fall in a few hours or to get out of there- it needed its rest!  
  
"Oh." She bit down hard on the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. He was free from her and she was free..they could be together. "So..are you and Anne Marie going to get together?" She had to play the devil. She poked and prodded and waited for the dreaded answer and prayed it would be the one she wanted. The correct answer would be uh, no.  
  
This completely caught him off guard, "Annie? What?" He thought back to the plane, "What made you think..?"  
  
Sydney wore a smug impression of her face, "Well, you two seemed so chummy at the airport that I just assumed." Her response was jealous. She crossed her arms defensively. Her brown now green eyes narrowed. "She certainly flirted with you enough."  
  
He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Annie and I had dated for awhile..like a year. We," he cleared his throat again, "she was my first love and then..I found her in my bed..with someone.with someone else...actually my...my old roommate." He shut his jade eyes for a moment and reflected that warm summer day that he had returned from work and found her...it was horrible. "After that.I found Alice and then.."  
  
She didn't want to hear about it anymore. She didn't care. *Why is that men always feel it's necessary to talk about their love life with other women? Huh?* "Is that why you called me? To talk about this?" It sounded harsh but she meant it to be sincere.  
  
He laughed lightly, forcing his body back into the present, "I-uh, no. Definitely not." Vaughn shifted once more to get comfortable. "I spoke with your mother today."  
  
"I know. Me too." She started to smile a little. "She told me." She answered the puzzled expression on his face.  
  
He was taken back by this at first and jerked his body back slightly. "Oh." Clearing his throat, he continued, "She told me something kinda interesting. Something that I at least found interesting, you might-"  
  
"Vaughn, you're babbling."  
  
"Right. She-uh..she told me that we..She told me that you were at my father's funeral. That we played together afterwards. That she had to tear us apart because we were having so much fun together that you didn't want to go home and I had forgotten what had happened." His voice grew quiet and gentle as he spoke so carefully. His father's funeral was a complete blur to him but he needed to tell Sydney that they had met before he was assigned to her. Every part of his body desired to reach out and touch her face or caress the nape of her neck but he knew he couldn't. He could never have her. She was out of his league.  
  
She tried to form words but it was impossible. "I-uh-we-really?" She started to laugh a little. "Huh." They knew each other when they were little. She had met his mother, him, and what other family he had. "That's so.." She let her voice trail off. "Well. Well, is that what you wanted to tell me?"  
  
Vaughn laughed lightly and shook his head no. "I have something I want to tell you."  
  
"Well, I have something to say to you too. Let me go first."" She started slowly, not really sure where she wanted to go with this. "I," she cleared her throat, "I guess I wanted to say that I am really glad I had you..er..I was with you throughout all of this. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't have you. You're my rock and I am so happy you were there with me..for everything." She paused, letting her words sink into his mind.  
  
Every day is so wonderful  
  
And suddenly, it's hard to breathe  
  
Now and then, I get insecure  
  
From all the fame, I'm so ashamed  
  
"I feel like I owe you my life." She finished with satisfaction. There. She had said it and it was now out in the open. The ball was in his court. But he didn't say anything. He just looked away from her, craning his neck all the way around so that she couldn't even see his face. She had basically just confessed her feelings for him and he was looking away from her? Eager to see what was on his face, she reached up but quickly pulled his hands back from touching him.  
  
I am beautiful no matter what they say  
  
Words can't bring me down  
  
I am beautiful in every single way  
  
Yes, words can't bring me down  
  
So don't you bring me down today  
  
Vaughn felt the emotions overrunning him. She felt the same way about him that he felt about her. This was a lot for him to handle. He almost pictured her not feeling the same way. "I thought you would blame me for all of this." He spoke softly. And lied.  
  
She scoffed, "You what?"  
  
"I was your link to the CIA and being a double agent so I thought that you would want to severer the ties with me and then your double agent status." He slowly went through his rational that he was totally making up on the spot. He didn't think that for a second but he needed to say something. His palms were getting sweaty and his body was now officially jittery. His eyes stayed locked to his left, locked on one part of the chain link fence established there.  
To all your friends, you're delirious  
  
So consumed in all your doom  
  
Trying hard to fill the emptiness  
  
The piece is gone and the puzzle undone  
  
That's the way it is  
  
Screw protocol and all of that bull, she reached up and took his face in her hands. She was concentrating fully and had a serious face on. "Look at me. You," She pulled his face towards her, forcing him to look into her eyes, "are my one link to sanity. I would never even think of forcing you out of my life. I could never do that. You save me more than you really think." She spoke so purely and his mouth was so close to hers that it pained her not kiss him. "I don't know what I would do if it wasn't your voice on the other end of my comm. link. You're my sanity." His skin beneath hers sent chills through her spine and she felt so tiny and so unworthy at that moment. The tension between them had grown to the point that she didn't know that she could wake up everyday without him lying next to her.  
  
He realized then how much he loved her. For a while, he had known it and felt in whenever they were in the same room together but right now, it felt so real. "You know." His voice was soft and husky, "my biggest fear is losing you." He spoke on a personal and business level. He brought his hands up to touch hers, still resting on either side of her face. The warmth of her body was spreading up through his and at the same time, sending frightening chills through his spine. "When you're out..on a mission..I can't stop thinking about you."  
  
"And I can't stop thinking about you when I'm out. That I'm doing this..that I'm a double because..and then..." Her reason changed. She was no longer doing this for Danny or for Will or for all those innocent people. She was doing this for herself..to prove that she could avenge murderers and get what she wanted so badly. She wanted to bring down SD-6 so she could be with him. She wanted to be with Vaughn.  
  
She held his face in her palms and wished the world would stop turning for a moment. She smiled at the stubble on his cheek. The tears threatened to come to her eyes again. She had fallen for the one man she couldn't have. She leaned closer, wanting to get nearer to him and unsure where this was going to go. She rolled over on her hips as she grew closer and closer, with her eyes darting between his perfect lips and his emerald eyes. The pain throughout her body was ignored. His touch was painkiller enough for him and as the electricity grew into a fire in her heart, she thought she was going to break if something didn't happen soon.  
  
His lips parted for a moment and she honestly thought she was going to die. Her heart was pounding so fast that she didn't even know if her heart was still beating.  
  
The worlds blurred out completely as he leaned in just a little bit closer, pressing his lips against hers. His hands left hers and wrapped tightly around hers as it grew in intensity. That was all she needed. Their first kiss was sweet and unsure. It was like the Junior High First Kiss that she never received. But the first kiss soon led to the second and to the third and suddenly, his brain was screaming for him to take a breath as the passion between the two of them lit his body afire. She ran her hands through his hair and felt that was going to die if they separated. His grip around his back became tighter and more passionate, pulling her closer and closer to him. He was so sweet and pure and all she wanted was to be with him. The passion overtook them and their desires took control. There were no senses anymore just each other and neither could get enough of the other. Fire seized hegemony and lord knows she wanted him.  
  
He pulled her closer to him and at first she winced at the movement but went with it. She felt his heart racing against hers. He had never felt such intense feelings for anyone before. Anne Marie..Alice..no one did this to him. It was like the rest of the world faded away and he wanted to laugh and breakdown all at the same time. He was holding her so tightly to him and she didn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Her brains started to scream for oxygen too and finally, she pulled back, gasping for air.  
  
He was the first one to speak, "I uh..wow." A goofy little grin had spread over his mouth, stained with berry lipstick. He had never been kissed like that before and wanted to for the rest of his life. They were still so close together that he was breathing in her breath.  
  
She ran his hands through his hair, "Yeah." The smile had spread over her mouth also. She was suddenly aware of his hands, clutching her back, afraid of letting go. She leaned in again and kissed him, even more passionately this time. She wanted to go further and stay with him forever. Love was not something that had always been kind to her and now that she found it, she didn't want to let go so easily.  
  
He pressed her even closer to his body, thinking he was going to explode any moment now. She groped heavily at his t-shirt, undoing it from his jeans and wanting so desperately to rip it over his head. He played with her shirt as their mouths fiercely pressed against each other, not knowing where the love they shared would leave them. He started to lean her backwards, when she yelped in pain. His hand had pressed against the stitches, which were already swollen with pain. "Oh G-d, Sydney, I'm sorry."  
  
She shifted her weight and leaned back on her arms, letting go of his grasp. Her scarred abdomen was showing and her shirt was dangling seductively off of her shoulder. His shirt was wrinkled and pulled at different angles from the outburst. "It's okay. That's okay. After the stitches are out." She joked quickly, wiggling further to get more comfortable. He took the hint and sat up a few inches from her, letting his leg dangle over one side and tucking the other one in front of him. "Did we just.?"  
  
Vaughn smiled innocently, "How long did you..?"  
  
"Since I met you. You?" She was now smilingly broadly and leaned forward to rub the lipstick off of his face and lips. They felt so clean and pure underneath his fingertips.  
  
"The red hair definitely did it for me."  
  
Sydney began to laugh and sit up a little bit with the help of Vaughn. He tucked his hand beneath the small of her back and with his other hand, helped her pull her legs onto the table. "I wanted to kiss you so badly in Madrid." She turned her body and rested in his arms.  
  
"You are so beautiful, you know that?" Vaughn kissed her forehead and rocked back and forth, feeling the weight of his angel in his arms.  
  
"What would I do without you?" she barely whispered aloud, feeling insanely vulnerable.  
  
You are beautiful no matter what they say  
  
Words won't bring you down  
  
You are beautiful in every single way  
  
Yes, words won't bring you down  
  
Don't you bring me down today...  
  
She laughed, letting some tears spill over from her eyes. She reached up and kissed him once more.  
  
He counted quickly, releasing his lips from hers, "What would I do without you?"  
  
"Don't worry. They aren't getting rid of me that easy." 


	18. Sea Salt Epilogue

They had returned to normal after so long of the extreme abnormal. The three of them had returned from the beach, smelling of sticky sea salt and fresh ocean sand. Sydney had never been happier in her life, perfectly tanned and partially sunburned on her back from the hot summer sun. The one piece black bathing suit had left its tan-lines against her skin. Her face shown brightly in the sun as they loaded back into the house. Her eyes were older now, little Crow's feet had formed near her eyes. Her brown eyes had matured and now showed the wear and tear of years as a spy. Her freckled body was still toned and lean, not quite away from her spy life. Her stomach was not as toned as it was in Madrid but close to it. A wedding ring was propped on her finger, just a simple gold band, warm and salt ridden from the day's adventures. She wore a simple sheer wrap over her waist, that flapped as her legs moved through it, shining perfectly purple. Her hands held tightly to a white and purple beach chair that she promptly laid inside the door as she entered, with two other figures in toe. Her smile lit the house that they inhabited and her laugh filled any silence left in the LA home. "Why don't you go and take a shower, baby?" Sydney placed her chair down and ushered in the two others.  
  
"Okay, mom." The second figure replied, her familiar brown hair swept beyond her shoulders, sticky with the ocean's remnants. Her skin was fairer than her mother's and burned much easier. She looked like Sydney but she had her father's eyes. Her pale skin had burn and was now achingly sore but the ballet dancer's body gleamed and relished in its new color. She wore a red bikini that showed off her stomach, much to her father and grandfather's dismay. Sydney didn't mind. She would have done the same thing at seventeen. Her body was more toned than her mother's in a different way. She was destined to be a dancer and wanted to live that life more than anything. She smiled broadly at her parents and then skipped off down the hallway and to the left to remove the saltwater from her hair.  
  
The last figure entered the home and locked the door securely behind him. There was nothing being short of too careful still. They lived a dangerous life, even eighteen years later. His skin too had bronzed and he was now even more inflexible from the sun. He wore a simple t-shirt and type of blue bathing suit shorts that kissed below his knees. Those wrinkles above his eyes had stayed permanently but the life showed more brightly in his eyes than ever. He had never been more alive. His eyes watched as his little girl walked away from him and he sighed, "Syd, she's getting older."  
  
Sydney had made her way into the kitchen and was busying herself with finding a suitable after beach snack. "No kidding." She replied, extremely sarcastically.  
  
"And she talked about boys today?" Vaughn replied, fearing and reliving the conversation at the beach.  
  
Sydney turned around from the freezer, holding three cartons of ice cream in her hands, "You're kidding me with this right? Vaughn, she's seventeen." She hurried to the counter and place the cold confection down. Even after all these years, she still called him Vaughn. Portia had just come to terms with that growing up in their rather insane house.  
  
"She talked about BOYS today, Syd." His eyes shot up as he vividly remembered the conversation on the beach, not an hour ago. "Boys, Syd!"  
  
"And what do you think I did when I was seventeen? Discussed the latest foreign policy or the inadequacy of the basis of the state department? Yeah. Hi. No." She rolled her brown eyes at him, still standing in the doorway, starring back into the house towards the bathroom. "And she has a crush on a boy. His name's Chris." She hushed her voice and looked towards Vaughn, her eyes clearly excited by this information.  
  
Vaughn cringed and winced, "Who names their son Chris?"  
  
"Who names their daughter after their alias on a op? Um, no one." Sydney laughed a little bit. "She's your daughter."  
  
Vaughn groaned again and made his way towards the couch in the center of the living room. He made his way to sit down-  
  
"Hey!" Sydney cried, watching her husband sit down. "Put a towel under that wet butt of yours!" She cringed at the thought of the wetness and her newly upholstered couch, with its decadent black and white toile. She hurried over to the linen closet in her LA home, bought not five miles from the Joint Task Force Operations. Taking the white terry cloth in her hands, she playfully threw it at his head. "Score!" She shouted.  
  
"Hey!" Vaughn replied just as playfully, pealing the towel off his head. "What was that for?"  
  
"Your wet butt on my new couch!." Sydney replied, allowing the large grin to spread over her face like a goofy teenager. "No. Towel. Equals. Wet. Couch. From. Wet. Butt." She emphasized each word with a broader smile as she walked towards her husband, her head tilted to the side and her hands were tightly clasped; "Follow?"  
  
Vaughn laughed and straightened up. "Follow." He walked over to his wife, still standing by the edge of the black and white couch and opened his arms to his wife, who happily became embraced in them. "Boys, Syd. G- d."  
  
Sydney only laughed a replied.  
  
"This is what your father must have felt like when we told him that we were together." Vaughn began to laugh lightly as he remembered the fateful day that Jack had found out.  
  
"Well." Jack Bristow said with his trademark expression crossing his face. "I figured as much.  
  
Sydney had been propped up on a cargo seat with her arms crossed over her legs. She was dressed in a racy black dress that showed off more than she wanted to show. They had been on a op together, all three of them, a few weeks after Sydney had her stitches taken out. She was strong, physically and mentally but she nearly fell over at hearing this, "You what?" Her voice was shaking and full of disbelief. "How? I mean, you-" she began to stammer.  
  
Jack moved away from his seat for a moment and grab a towel to start to remove the heavy make-up he had applied from his face. "I figured as much. You're not very good at concealing your emotions. Either of you." He returned to his seat and starred at Vaughn, whose mouth had dropped open. "Agent Vaughn, I will tell you the same thing I told every boy that has come near my daughter. If you break her heart in any way shape or form, I will use all of my capabilities to make your life a living hell."  
  
Back to present, Vaughn shuddered at the thought of Jack hunting him down and making his life miserable. But then, he thought that he could do the same thing to this Chris guy and managed to smile a little.  
  
Sydney playfully punched him in the stomach, "What are you laughing at, Agent Vaughn?" She wrinkled her brow and raised her chin at him. "Something funny?"  
  
Vaughn smiled even broader, "I was just think about what you father said to me...how I could say that to this Chris guy-" he stopped short and shook his head, letting his wet hair give off excess moisture in the process, "When did I become your father?"  
  
Sydney buried her head in his shoulder and was unable to control the fit of giggles that erupted from her stomach. "About the time that I went diving for that Rambaldi document in the bottom of the Red Sea." She laughed even harder and straightened up to look into his eyes. "That mission sucked."  
  
His eyes lit up at the remembrance of old memories under the Middle Eastern sky as she remembered the burning sensation that took over her body as she dove deeper and deeper into the black waters, urging herself to go on for the lost document that would tell them the true prophet was, which woman in the Bristow line that would do those things. "There were so many things that went wrong with that mission." He replied soberly, looking two inches down to his beautiful wife. "Can you believe how long ago that was?"  
  
She shook her head silently, her arms still tightly wrapped around his lower back, with his arms wrapped around hers. "Almost eighteen year ago. It was right after we got married...we were what? Married for three months? And that's when we found out.."  
  
"That we were pregnant with Portia."  
  
Sydney sighed longingly at the memory of feeling so sick after she had broken to the surface and feeling the cold air press against her face and shivering. "What's this we crap? I was the one that dove how many feet? And got the artifact and was thoroughly sick to my stomach for the rest of the trip." She pulled away and her eyes began to laugh again, "I made your life hell."  
  
Vaughn was now laughing and smiling too. "Yeah you did. But she was worth every moment of it?" He ushered her over to the couch and forced her to sit down, his arms around her. She crossed her legs over the couch and her eyes danced about the room and settled on the rows of little dots still scarring her legs from years ago. Her arms were still scared, as were Vaughn's but they had just come to view those as pride marks. Something that showed they lived through hell and lived to tell the tall.  
  
"I should hope so." Portia appeared at the doorway, dressed in jeans shorts and a cute little t-shirt that read, "ALMOST FAMOUS." Her stride was elegant, with the ballet training had infused in her. Her toned body hopped into the gold and beige kitchen to pick up the ice cream she cleverly spied sitting there, melting. "I would honestly think that I was worth all that trouble and aggravation" she spoke with a false air of pride and ego. She continued to bounce about, smiling happily from the day's event and managed to end up in the living room and plopped on the couch. The ice cream felt cold and solid in her hands. She rested on the couch and spread her long legs out over her mother's, who sat there, with her legs folded over the side.  
  
"You know you were, baby." Sydney replied, eagerly taking the ice cream from her daughter.  
  
Portia laughed, throwing her sandy blonde hair back with her laughter. "That's a good thing. Imagine if I wasn't. Good thing I'm a good girl." She remarked smugly at her father. "I am most certainly a good girl." She looked just like her father but with the striking brown eyes of her mother, grandmother, and sure great-grandmother.  
  
This caused Sydney to absolutely explode into the laughter, "Lordy, you really are your father's daughter. Always making sure everyone knows everything."  
  
Portia snapped up straight and starred at her mother with the familiar Bristow women brown eyes. "Not necessarily. I sure as hell got your stubbornness."  
  
Sydney laughed, "Blame your grandmother for that one. Your grandfather sure does."  
  
"Jack blames everything on Irinia, Irinia everything on Jack, Kendall everything on Devlin and the circle continues." Vaughn replied to his daughter, who was well accustomed to things CIA. It was just another fact in her extremely bizarre life.  
  
Sydney adjusted her body slightly against her husband's. She was older now, more refined and mature. It had been nearly eighteen years since SD-6 had discovered her and she and Vaughn had gone to Madrid. They had returned and gone almost back to normal. A relationship, a more personal relationship, developed between them and the word "protocol" was quickly erased from both of their vocabulary's. SD-6 was promptly brought down after Sloane's death and the Alliance followed in similar fashion. Three months after coming home, they announced their relationship to Irinia, who cried from happiness and Jack who reacted as so. Four months later, they were married at the most beautiful ceremony in the history of the world.  
  
A perfect spot had been chosen on the beach, near the infamous pier. Under the sunset, . Sydney had worn a beautiful white sundress that embroidered with elegant pearl and beaded flowers. Francie was her maid of honor, naturally and was beaming more so than the bride. There was a slight breeze that had played with Sydney's hair, elegantly piled on her head with little curls escaping. Irinia stood by her, allow salty tears to escape her eyes. She had been temporarily released from CIA custody to attend. Jack stood there as well, letting his own tears to build up. His little girl was now all grown up. Felicity Vaughn had arrived right on time and instantly loved Sydney. The hardest part of the event was Felicity meeting Irinia but after an hour or so together, they both broke down into tears and hugged and laughed like old friends.  
  
The vows were exchanged and then the rings. Vaughn's eyes were lit like candles at seeing Sydney beautiful done up into a white dress that flowed with the soft sea air. He had opted for a simple pair of black pants and a dress shirt. Their wedding was as untraditional as possible so a tux just didn't seem to be in the cards. Weiss stood next to him, as the best man. Slight bruises and scars were still evident from Madrid but it didn't matter. Sydney swore that's why make-up was created; to help spies cover their line of work. The most special event of the evening was the rings being exchanged. Likely enough, the engraving in his read "My guardian angel" and hers read, "My bluebird."  
  
Within a few months, Sydney discovered that she was pregnant and sure enough, nine months later, a baby girl with the Bristow disposition and the Vaughn looks. The CIA hospital was busy and bustling with well wishers for the Agency's favorite couple. The only problem was what to name the already stubborn baby girl. Everyone had their input. Irinia thought it she be named for her mother, Tatiana. Jack believed that Rose was a good choice. Will and Francie were too smitten with each other to give any real input with the exception of "Whatever you want." Felicity believed a French name would be appropriate or named after William.  
  
But it was Vaughn that came up with the idea. They had been sitting in the sterile room for a while, becoming absolutely intoxicated by the dozens of flowers sent by a variety of people. He had pushed his hands into his pocket and discovered a signed receipt from something in Madrid. It was Syd's handwriting and elegantly signed, "Portia DeMarco." He felt the smile cross his lips. "Hey, Syd?" He looked up from the piece of paper to his wife and child, happily sitting in the sitting streaming in from a nearby window.  
  
"What baby?" Sydney looked up from her daughter and smiled at him.  
  
"What about Portia?" He asked, watching her facial expression go from concentration, to bemusement, to happiness.  
  
Sydney began to laugh a little bit. "After my alias on the op?"  
  
"Seems appropriate."  
  
"Portia what, exactly?"  
  
"Um." He faltered quickly and began to wrack his brain for an answer.  
  
Sydney played with the little black hair creature. "Iris. Portia Iris." The baby began to gurgle at the sound and Sydney gentled cooed over her. Her long brown hair was elegantly pulled back into a French braid and laid at the back of neck. "See? She likes it." Her graceful neck bent over and kissed the little girl on top of her head.  
  
"She's perfect, Syd." Vaughn came over and sat next to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. "You're perfect." And kissed both of his girls on the forehead.  
  
Portia was now nearly seventeen and a supporter of the arts. Her time was dedicated in between tough honor and advanced placement tests and musical theater. She had received her mother's love for literature, her father's flare for language, Jack's sharp thinking skills, Irinia's temper, Felicity's love for performing and William's love for the world. She was their melting pot and she carried it better than anyone could have ever imagined, "Yeah, well. Everybody knows that Grandpa and Grandma will never agree on anything." She spoke, now in the present. "So when do I get to and visit her again?" She thrived on her visits to the Joint Task Force Op.  
  
"Whenever you want, honey." Vaughn replied soberly. His daughter had so much respect for her grandmother and enjoyed sharing stories with her true confidant. He maneuvered his hands so he could continue eating his ice cream but quickly lodged his spoon into Sydney's carton.  
  
"Hey!" she yelped at the discovery of the missing chuck on ice cream. "Eat your own!"  
  
"Children! Easy does it!" Portia exclaimed, sighing loudly at her parents. "I don't need you two arguing! Just eat your ice-cream."  
  
"Yes, mommy."  
  
"Yes, mommy." They both replied, smiling and putting a pretended air of hurt on their faces. They quickly pouted their lips and turned back their ice cream.  
  
"That's better." Portia smiled and began to laugh with Vaughn and Sydney quickly joining it.  
  
Vaughn stopped laughing for a moment and starred at his daughter, "So, who's this Chris?"  
  
"Vaughn!"  
  
"Dad!" Portia stopped laughing and starred wide eyed at her father. "I can't believe you said that!"  
  
"What? I have a right to know!"  
  
"Vaughn!" Sydney elbowed him in the stomach, to which he groaned quickly.  
  
He looked back and forth between his wife and daughter, shaking his head and insisting that he a right to know who Chris was and what was going on. Sydney prompted her daughter not to say anything, laughing a little bit and absolutely that this was the biggest problem facing her life; who her daughter was dating. As opposed to being discovered by a secret organization or being hunted down by some foreign operative.  
  
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, a group of rogue agents from various organizations gathered in the cloak of darkness. Each of them had their own agenda and a list of who they wanted to bring down. One by one, the names were added to the list. One man stepped out of the shadows with his list written in black ink. Topping his list, the names P. Vaughn, M. Vaughn, J. Bristow, and finally and most importantly S. Bristow were clearly written with hate and disgust. He was one of the men in the world that still wanted the bluebird to fall and would be damned if she didn't. 


	19. Looking Towards The Future

Thank you so much to all of those who reviewed AND THE BLUEBIRD MAY FALL! You inspired me so much that I have a sequel in the works titled FORTY- SEVEN. The format of it may be a little confusing so I thought I would run through and answer any questions I'm sure will arise when I post sometime next week.  
  
FORTY SEVEN discovers and defines Sydney's on going struggle with the number 47. It has always been connected to her. She was born on the forty- seventh month of her parent's marriage. Her mother faked her death on the forty-seventh day of the year. She was forty-seventh in her class at UCLA. She found Danny at 9:47. She was instructed to meet her handler, Michael Vaughn at Warehouse 47 and the list goes on and more will be revealed during the course of the story. Now, it begins somewhere in the past before BLUEBIRD takes place. A mission has gone wrong and she is dealing with the affects in it. Another flashback chapter occurs and we discover more about the number 47 and the disastrous mission.  
  
Flash forward once more to where Sydney is now 47 and her daughter, Portia is 17. This is where BLUEBIRD ends. Through the course of the story, the relationship between mother and daughter and grandmother all come into play. All loose ends are tied up, including the mysterious man at the end who wants the bluebird to fall. And this time, he might succeed. So, be sure to read FORTY SEVEN and see the underside of everything. Of course, there will be MAJOR Sydney and Vaughn romance and more twists than you've ever seen before. Just remember, you think you know, but you have no idea. 


End file.
